MOORESVILLE, Ind. — A group of students at Mooresville High School started work this year on a new project too large for a classroom. The building trades classes are creating a tiny house right on campus.
The students provide the labor and learn the construction business without having to leave school.
"It's been my favorite class out of all my high school classes,” said Zach Trimble, a junior. “It's gotten my foot in the door through a lot of experience, so I think it'll do me good when I get out of high school for my job. I just like staying busy. I don't like really just standing around. I like working and doing stuff."
The tiny house is 24 feet long, eight feet wide, and 13-and-a-half feet tall, with a loft as a bedroom. The house is being built on a trailer under an awning the classes built so they could work on the house year-round.
"The students will always have something to work on, and they get to do everything: the wiring, the plumbing, the design of the project. So, we thought [this project] was a great idea,” said Mooresville Schools Superintendent Randy Taylor.
The 2020-21 school year ended Friday. The house is completely framed with wall and interior work beginning. The students were putting in the loft floor on the last day of classes. The tiny house should be completed by the end of 2021.
The house will be sold with the proceeds put back into the building trades program. A tiny house of this same model recently sold for $110,000.
Cyndel Henson is one of two girls in her building trades class.
"I feel like it's a very high respect thing for girls and it really shows that women can be empowered and do what they want with their life,” said Henson.
Henson's grandfather owns a construction company and she wants to one day join the family business.
"I come to school for this,” said Henson. “I'm not even going to lie. I tell my family. At first, they didn't think much of it. But I keep bringing it up and they're just so proud of me and it just makes me feel good that my family is...proud of me for something that I'm doing."
Mooresville Schools recently celebrated its first signing day for students earning paid internships and apprenticeships based on their work in building trades classes.
"College is not for everybody,” said Kevin Bradshaw, Mooresville High School building trades instructor. “But what this does is it gets us work. The skills trades today - I'm in that, have been in construction all my life. And I can tell you that we're lacking in that area."
A tiny house opens the door to big opportunities.
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