Since the middle of June, students have been making progress on the construction of a duplex in Kalona, as part of the Student-Built House Program.

The program, in its second-year, engages youth in the trades, giving them the opportunity to gain genuine construction experience. In 2022, students remodeled a decades-old house, however the duplex, which is located at 313/315 C Avenue, is the first project that they have built from the ground up.

Former Mid-Prairie student and incoming freshman at Central College, Alex Bean, who has been a part of both projects, tells KCII his reasons for returning, “Last year we had a really fun time and we got to learn new things that we had never known before. I think that’ll help us get experience for what we wanna do in our future and for future jobs down the road.”

Bean, along with 10 other students from Durant, Highland, and Washington have worked on the duplex every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this summer from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Apart from plumbing and electrical, a majority of the build is done by the students. When they return to school for the fall, McCreedy-Ruth Construction will take over, with a tentative completion date this October. 

Tim Rouse, Job Supervisor and Industrial Tech teacher in Durant, praised the program for the experience it offers students. “It’s amazing. They can do all the stuff they want to at school, but they don’t get the feel for lifting, and what the weather is like, and being around other contractors, and being around the general public. You don’t get that unless you’re on a job site.”

Other students involved in the build this year include Gabi Robertson, Brady Meinke, Kyan Nash, Jackson Schneider, Robbie Olson, Andrew Shepherd, Bryce Daufeldt, Mason Badtram, Kelsi Cerny, and Aidan Neitzel.