This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Schools

Students Build New Home in Springfield

Students will build 16 more new homes in Springfield while learning trade skills.

For the past 17 months, 120 students from eight and the Edison Academy laid floors, hung walls, read blueprints and installed, with supervision, low-voltage lighting, and TV-cable-data connection—all for class credit. 

The finished product, a single family-home located at 7001 Springfield Ct. in Springfield, just came on the market for $775,000. It is the second house constructed on the 13.48-acre of land near the intersection of Spring Village Drive and the Fairfax County Parkway. The students will build sixteen more homes in the community called Spring Village Estates. 

This is the nineteenth house built as part of a forty-year partnership between the school system and the Foundation for Applied Technical Education, Inc. (FATE). Supervised by teacher Marcial Rubio and a host of construction professionals, the students learn the latest building techniques and practice through a curriculum developed by the National Association of Home Builders and the Custom Builders Council of Northern Virginia.

Find out what's happening in Burkewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Greg Stiger, the owner and principal broker of Integrity Real Estate Group, said the home’s universal design features are a big selling point as well as how solid is the workmanship.

“Marcial keeps a close eye on all construction aspects," Stiger said. “If the kids make a mistake—he makes them fix it. He even points out contractor mistakes so the kids can learn from that.” 

Find out what's happening in Burkewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Alexi Ely, a West Springfield senior, proudly pointed to his work.

“I put up this crown molding, and I did whatever else the manager [Rubio] asks me to do," Ely said.

Chad Maclin, the Trades and Industrial Education Coordinator for Fairfax County Public Schools, believes it’s important for parents to focus on a student’s passion and to use the time during high school to fully explore a range of options. 

“We are committed to putting learning into a context that comes alive,” said Chad Maclin.

When asked how many girls participated in the project, Maclin said “We have had two girls in our electrical construction and engineering class and five in the construction technologies class at the residential construction site work.”

Laura Reasoner Jones, Director of the GEMS (Girls Excelling in Math and Science) clubs and a technology specialist at McNair Elementary School, was not surprised to hear those numbers, pointing out that parents, teachers and guidance counselors continue to gender-stereotype jobs and careers.

“People talk a lot about the underrepresentation of girls in STEM careers—Science, Technology, Engineering and Math—but we can’t forget about the other T—the Trades,” Jones said.

More than 95 percent of high school students nationwide take at least one Career and technical education course, formerly called vocational education, before graduating. About 25 percent take three or more. 

 “STEM fields, including the trades, lead to jobs that pay very well and provide economic security for both men and women," Jones said.  “Parents and teachers must remember that one of our jobs is to help every student leave school with knowledge and skills that will serve him or her well in the future.”

Jones challenges all parents, teachers and community leaders to start early with the girls, to encourage and support risk-taking, to avoid rescuing, and to allow sweat and dirt.

“Praise, encourage and recognize girls for their skills, ideas and successes," Jones said. "Believe it or not, we can all learn to hammer a nail."

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?