Tartan High School senior Lucas Fuerst spent the past school year taking tests, writing papers -- and building a house in Cottage Grove.
Fuerst and 71 other high school students in Construction Occupations classes got hands-on experience in the home-building trades by constructing two new houses. The Cottage Grove two-story and a Hugo modified two-story will be open for tours from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. (See the calendar at right for details.)
The class, offered by Intermediate School District Northeast Metro 916, partners students interested in careers in residential construction with home-building pros who teach and supervise them during the home-building process. Sixteen homes have been built since the program was created in 1999.
"The kids are involved from the initial site work to completing the foundation, framing, finish carpentry, even landscaping," said Tom Spehn, class instructor and licensed contractor.
The homes are for sale (the one in Cottage Grove for $378,900 and in Hugo for $389,900) and the proceeds will help fund the program next year.
"It was a great experience," said Fuerst. "I built a house that a family can build a life in."
LYNN UNDERWOOD
