Eight Clarkston students are hard at work building a house in the Unity Park neighborhood in the City of Pontiac.
“It feels amazing to have the opportunity to be on a real job site,” said Austin Beckman, 17, a student at Oakland Schools Technical Campus Northwest (OSTC NW) and Clarkston High School. “I’m very excited to be able to use my skills on this build.”
“Students must get through their core construction technology classes before coming onto a job site,” said Chuck Locklear, OSTC NW dean. “Over the years, Oakland Schools has worked on 12 different houses in this neighborhood, and we are thrilled to be back.”
Oakland Schools construction technology students from nine school districts, also including Rochester, Lake Orion, Oxford, Avondale, Pontiac, Holly, Brandon and Waterford, started work on March 27.
This project gives students construction skills first-hand, while becoming an important part of the effort to rebuild one of Pontiac’s oldest neighborhoods. It’s a partnership with Community Housing Network, a nonprofit organization providing housing and housing resources for vulnerable residents of Southeast Michigan, and managed by West Construction Services.