Home sweet home
Akron students build homes, futures

On a sunny fall day, the sound of hammers, drills and a large generator can be heard up and down the street. A supervisor is reviewing wiring with one of his men, while a crew of three crawls through the rafters of the unfinished home on Clark Street. Passersby might not give the construction site a second glance, but neighbors in the south Akron community eagerly follow the home's progress. Some even keep an eye on the place when construction crews are gone to make sure the property is not vandalized.

What makes this new home unique is not the location or the look ... it is the builders. On any given day, more than 35 career education students from Akron Public Schools head out to the site for real-world experience. The home on Clark Street is the 13th that Akron's career education students have built for the Urban Neighborhood Development Corporation. When it is finished, the home will be sold.

"This is as real as it gets," says Bob Manda, a construction trades teacher at Kenmore High School. "It's our classroom in the field. There are certain things we can practice in the shop, but this is where it becomes reality. The weather, the conditions ― this is the way it's really going to be. It can be an eye-opener for students."

Construction students from Ellet and Kenmore high schools, electrical students from Kenmore, plumbing students from Buchtel High School, HVAC students from North High School, and masonry students from Central-Hower are sharing their skills on this project.

Pre-fabrication of the new home starts on the first day of school. While contractors are busy pouring the foundation, students assemble the frame.

"This 2x4 is delivered to Kenmore High School," explains career education coordinator Frank Meyers as he slaps the interior wall to his left. "This 2x4 is delivered to Ellet High School," slapping the exterior wall on his right.

When the frames are complete and delivered to the site, students begin to assemble the house.

"My goal is to give students a real-life experience," says Meyers. "Construction sites are muddy. There's no heat. It rains. They see the reality of construction."

Meyers explains that by having students with different skills working together, they develop a real understanding of how the entire home is put together. It is a lesson in how carpentry relates to electrical trades and how that relates to plumbing and how plumbing relates to heating and ventilation.

"They see the importance of craftsmanship and how the quality of their work affects other areas of the building," says Meyers.

For Kenmore 12th-grader Jonathan Steed, this opportunity is building his future. Jonathan has been named a site supervisor, putting him in charge of other students.

"It can be hard supervising my friends, but it's my job," explains Jonathan, who wants to study business in college before opening his own construction company. "This is a tough job, but our work is as good as anyone else out there."

Indeed, it has to be. Just like every other construction job in Akron, the city's building inspection department reviews every aspect of the new home to ensure it is up to code before the UNDC sells it.

"Our homes are usually sold before we have our open house," explains Meyers. "The community is excited for its completion."

The Urban Neighborhood Development Corporation was created in the late 1970s to revitalize and rehabilitate urban neighborhoods. The group is made up of representatives from the Fair Housing Contact Service, the Home Builders Association, the Akron Area Board of Realtors, Financial Institutions of Greater Akron and the city. For homes built by students, UNDC finds a sponsoring contractor to provide all of the materials including lumber and ductwork. The contractor is also responsible for laying the foundation before students come in to build the house.

At the moment, there are fewer students available to work on the UNDC home. That is because many construction trades students are scattered around the city building a different type of home ― an educational home. At the moment, Akron students are building new schools including Mason, Betty Jane, David Hill, Voris, Resnik and Jennings.

↓ Click on "Other APS Links" below for the complete links list.