A class like this one was offered many years ago, and the students at the time built some houses that neighbor the high school. Several of the seniors in this class said that and this style of learning really appealed to them. “I struggle sitting down in a classroom,” said senior Tyler Herkal. “I like working with my hands too, so this class kind of just stood out to me.” “IfI didn’t have to if I don’t have to take any other classes I would just take this,” said senior Lucas Dougherty. Teacher Scott Wicklund says that kids come into the class with different background and career goals, and through this class he sees some career goals change. “The number of kids that are interested in the trades is growing the longer they’re in this class,” said Wicklund. “If you would have asked them the first day it would probably be maybe five or six of them planning on this career. Now it’s about 10 of them saying this is something I want to go into now because I know I can have a career in it. I can make be successful in it, and I enjoy the work.” It’s a class with clearly visible results. “I think they really enjoy seeing how far we’ve come because we started on day one with getting these piers delivered, and now we’re about ready to set up a wall today,” said Wicklund This class is a part of the high school’s career and college readiness program. It introduces students to skills needed for careers ranging from construction to video game design to nursing. Wicklund says that through this class, he hopes some students will gravitate toward a specific field, like sheetrock, or electrical work. “If they find a niche that they really like, we’ll connect them with people that that’ll open doors for them,” said Wicklund.
SPRING LAKE PARK HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BUILD A HOUSE
SPRING LAKE PARK – (Nov. 4, 2022) – There’s about 40 students across two sections of Scott’s Wicklund’s construction trades class. Before the end of the school year, these students will build the entire house – from the framing and roofing to the tiling and trimming and painting. The only parts of the house that won’t be built be students are the electrical and the plumbing.
