HELENA— The 16th annual House Build Project for Helena High School and Capital High School opened its doors to the public Tuesday.
It was the final opportunity to witness the craftsmanship and creativity of Helena School District students.
Doors opened at 10 a.m. by Cambray Loop near the Resurrection Cemetery, revealing the hard work and devotion students put in since the first day of school.
The House Building Project began in September and will continue with the finishing touches of landscaping until class is dismissed for summer break.
Though the program is a unique opportunity for students, it’s being discontinued due to a lack of consistent participation. The 16th annual house is the last.
The open house hosted a pre-summer barbecue as students and faculty came together to celebrate a house built from the ground up.
Walt Jones, carpentry housing teacher for Helena School District, told MTN why the program is important for not just him but for future builders of America.
“Yeah, I think it gives the average student a reason to come to school and somewhere to belong because, I think one in five graduate from college and the rest need something, so it gives those students a sense of accomplishment.”
Helena High Senior, Isaac Reinstadler, said, “Well, from my perspective I just think it’s a really great opportunity to just kind of learn how to do this kind of stuff even though it’s kind of, we mainly do the basic part, but we get to do a little bit of everything. Which is good because one day, I kind of want to build my own house; this is a really good way to get a foundation going.”
Jones said he wants to thank everyone who made the program a reality and hopes in the future something similar can be return for students.
-Reported by Christine Sullivan/MTN News
