Door County Community News: The Next Generation of Builders

The Door Kewaunee Business & Education Partnership (DKBEP), Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) and the Door County Home Builders Association (DCHBA) have joined forces once again in an effort to grow the construction industry’s skilled workforce by providing real-world learning experiences and credits for Door/Kewaunee County high school students.

For the second straight year, the Build a Home, Build a Future program will construct a student-built home. This year’s home will be located at 1847 Kentucky Street in the Spring Oaks subdivision, directly behind the Sturgeon Bay YMCA.

(Front row, left to right) Pat Donley, Instructor; Aaron Moriarity, Sturgeon Bay; Dan Andres, Southern Door; Tom Keller, Sturgeon Bay; Matt Gauger, Sevastopol; Dennis Blum, Sturgeon Bay; Zach Fairchild, Sturgeon Bay; and Miles Zastrow, Instructor. (Back row, left to right) Tyler LaCrosse, Southern Door; Zach Henderson, Sevastopol; Gus Goffard, Algoma; Kody Laviolette, Southern Door; and Levi Schneider, Sturgeon Bay.

“We experienced many great successes with the construction of last year’s home,” said Tara LeClair, DKBEP Project Manager. “Eleven out of 13 students have entered or will be entering the construction industry either as local full-time employees, enrolled as students in the building trades program at NWTC or specializing in construction while in the military. The largest achievement for the boys and the program was the eventual sale of the home in August which has allowed the program to continue.”

This year, 11 high school students will participate in the homebuilding project representing the school districts of Algoma, Southern Door, Sturgeon Bay, and Sevastopol. The students will be working under the direct guidance of NWTC-contracted instructors Miles Zastrow and Pat Donley. Upon successful completion of the project, each student will earn 16 transcripted credits for advanced placement in the Wood Technical Diploma program at NWTC.

“Right now, we are working in a big hole in the ground,” Zastrow said. “Drive past here 10 years from now; these boys will be able to say, ‘I built that.’ That is a pretty remarkable achievement at their age.”

For more information call 920.743.3113 ext. 205 or email [email protected]