Rocky View Schools and Mckee Family Homes partnered to give a select group of lucky students the opportunity of a lifetime. 

 During the school year, a select group of students was selected from W.H. Croxford High School, George McDougall High School, and Bert Church High to learn what it takes to build a new house. 

The students started with pre-construction, all the way to two finished houses. Students who completed the project received their Residential Construction Site Manager Level One Academic accreditation all while being in school full time. Students involved in the program typically spent four out of five days each week on a remote site. 

The open house was held Thursday night (June 7th) for family members, friends and members of the community to come to see the finished project of a full school years worth of work. 

Anna Brown, Grade 10 student at George McDougall says she learned a lot.

"The first house was actually framed when we got here so we finished the project from the frame.  We learned about electrical, heating, plumbing, drywall and mudding, pretty much everything you would expect to be used in building a house."

The students learned not only about each of the individual trades but also about the tools involved which Brown said was sometimes a little nerve-racking. 

 I was scared to use any type of tool, especially any type of power pools that had to be plugged in. It was definitely one of the hardest things to overcome."

Brown says although she loved the experience and would recommend it to anyone, she doesn't think the trades are for her but she would like to keep involved in the community. 

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