Building Futures Through Brilliant Education: Quitman Building Trades
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- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
By Jennifer Webb
In some ways, it looks like an ordinary house build. In other ways, it’s quite extraordinary, and it’s been quietly nestled in the heart of a small town in Cleburne County for over 20 years.
A stream of workers in hard hats, tool belts, and safety glasses rotate in and out of the project all day, five days a week. Together, they build a house in 9 months and auction it off to the highest bidder.
That process in itself is pretty cool, but unlike most building programs, the main goal is not a financially based one but one of building skills. All the workers are high school students, from Quitman and surrounding schools. Their teacher is Mr. Holland, who starting at ground zero, supervises and manages each build.
“I think that for me, it is the best example of a true hands-on learning experience for kids that they can take and will benefit them for the rest of their lives. They are learning a skill and trade in high school that they can take and will always have.”
– Michael Stacks, Superintendent, Quitman School District
Mr. Holland starts at ground zero in two ways, both with the house and the skill of his crew. He starts with teens who have never built anything in their lives and are at a “this is a hammer; this is a nail” level. All students must complete an OSHA safety course before they are allowed to start working on construction. The house itself starts with laying the floor plan.
They consult local real estate agents, learn the trends, and are limited by the size requirements of what can be moved down the road to its new location once it sells. They develop a floor plan, simply drawn on a whiteboard with dimensions. Then they start with laying the foundation.
Over the course of the program, the students take the house from planning to foundation, to floor, to frame, to rafters, to roof, to enclosing the walls with sheathing, installing windows and exterior siding, running electrical, installing hvac, installing plumbing fixtures, insulating the walls with spray foam insulation, hanging sheetrock, finishing the sheetrock, building and installing cabinets, laying floors, painting, and all the things that make a house a finished house.
As the house grows, so do the students’ skill set and understanding of how things work and are put together.
“If it’s not going to hurt them, and it’s not going to cost money, I let them mess up. Then they have to fix it. That’s how they learn.”
– Mr. Holland, Quitman Building Trades Instructor
Mr. Lonnie Holland runs a tight ship; all students have to have safety gear on before they cross a certain line in the shop. All students can have input on the design of the house, but he ultimately has the final say. (He had to say no to a certain student who was convinced that all the walls would be beautiful in pink.) He did let her pick the hardware for the cabinets, within a certain budget. The moment he printed out a picture of the cabinets and told her, “This is going to go here,” and saw her eyes light up with understanding, he knew he had gotten through to her.
This year’s house features a Barn Chic or Barn Boujie look. The ceiling in the living room/kitchen area features boards that were cut to fit, stained, and installed by the students. It’s an open floor plan, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a huge open area in the kitchen and living room areas. It feels spacious, yet cozy and inviting.
Mr. Holland draws on his past military and construction experience, as well as his many years of managing the Quitman Building Trades Program. Many of their students have gone on to have careers in the construction industry, while many others have simply walked away with skills that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.
“Quitman Building Trades graduates currently make up over 25 percent of our workforce. These positions specialize in fabrication, design, installation, and management. The Program teaches adolescents teamwork, accountability, communication, and leadership. All which are the core focus of our operation today. From reading a tape measure to estimating the cost of a house, Building Trades has and will continue to prepare teenagers for their careers.”
– Trey McGhee, Millshop Manager for Nabholz Construction, and Quitman Building Trades graduate
They partner with several local businesses that support the program. At the end of the school year, they auction the house to the highest bidder, with one going for as much as $121,000. A short drive will take you past several houses that have come from the Quitman Building trades program, doing the job they were always meant to do—providing a cozy home for a family.
Though many students are from Quitman High School, other area schools that include Mount Vernon-Enola, Southside BeeBranch, Guy-Perkins, Heber Springs, and Westside Greer’s Ferry, bus students in to participate in the program. They have recently partnered with ASU-Beebe, and Mr. Holland has earned his credentials to teach the courses for concurrent credit with ASU-Beebe so that enrolled students have the opportunity to earn both high school and college credit.
“There are some kids that don’t thrive as much academically until you put them in a real world setting like the Building Trades Program. These kids often find a place to land and grow. It opens our school to giving kids opportunities, not just academically but in more areas where they build life skills and apply the things they learn in their academic classes.”
– Ms. Halisha Stacy, High School Principal
If you would like to follow the Quitman Building Trades Program, Mr. Holland posts updates on their Facebook page so you can watch the progress of the house build each year, as well as find out auction information.
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