Grade 10 students who participated in the Building Futures program from Airdrie and Crossfield came together this past Wednesday.

They presented the fruits of their labour after a year of building and learning. Over the course of the year, the students had put down their pencils and picked up their saws and hammers to build a brand-new home in the Airdrie neighbourhood of Coopers Crossing.  

Kids learned everything from planning, concrete pours, framing, as well as carpentry. The Celebration of Learning, as it is called, gives the students a chance to present the house they have created and individual projects they've worked on throughout the year.

Coleman Massey is one of the two teachers that run the program alongside Travis Jones. He said that during their time in the program, the students got to work elbow-to-elbow with certified tradespeople, that lent their expertise and a meticulous eye to the house that was built. Apart from building a house from the foundation up, students are also given the opportunity to tackle individual projects. The projects must answer the question, "What's something that you have always wanted to build or what is something that is missing from your household?" 

“The projects range from items such as desks and bookshelves or other projects like a Rubik's cube shelf,” Massey said. 

The program, which started nearly a decade ago wanted kids to be more involved in the real world, while also learning. That experience culminates in getting a chance to simultaneously learn the standard Grade 10 curriculum in a garage right beside the house they are building.

The program is currently being offered to all grade 10 students in Airdrie high schools such as Bert Church High School, W.H. Croxford High School and George McDougall High School. It's also offered to students attending W.G Murdoch High School in Crossfield as well as Summit Trails Online High School.

This year, Building Futures saw 30 students enrolled in the program. 

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