Students in Stanley Consolidated School’s skilled trades classes have been learning valuable lessons about community and citizenship thanks to a recent collaboration with Habitat for Humanity New Brunswick.
“I always had in the back of my mind something that was community-oriented,” said Michael Valk, skilled trades teacher at Stanley Consolidated School. “I love the idea of citizenship, and I want the students to know—from a skilled trades perspective—how they can use their skills to be employable and also to give back to the community.”
Valk’s skilled trades students worked with Habitat for Humanity New Brunswick in Fredericton this school year, priming and painting during the winter, and landscaping in June. But the partnership began in the 2021-2022 school year.
Said Valk: “Last year I heard of some other schools that had partnered with Habitat for Humanity, so I reached out to them and said, ‘we run some skilled trade courses, is there anything we can do together that’s mutually beneficial based on the curriculum and competencies.’”
During the 2021-22 school year, Stanley students built a shed at the school for Habitat for Humanity with materials the organization provided.
“It did start a relationship with Habitat for Humanity, which is great,” said Valk of the initial collaboration. “So, this year, I said ‘I’ve got a group here that’s super keen, and I’d like to have the students put their skills to good use helping out the community. Is there a way we can fit in?’”
Since 2016, Habitat for Humanity New Brunswick has collaborated with three other district schools in addition to Stanley Consolidated School: Minto Memorial High School, Oromocto High School, and Leo Hayes High School.
Seeing Results
“We had a small group of students come out to prime and paint, and they did such a phenomenal job, we connected again to get them to come out as a larger group to help do our landscaping,” said Courtney Foreman, Community Development Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity New Brunswick in Fredericton.
Students are seeing the benefits of their efforts in real-time.
“We helped with getting all the painting done,” said Grade 11 student Tatum Pond of his involvement in the Habitat collaboration. “Now the family’s already in there, which is pretty wicked.”
In both the residential finish and housing & design courses Valk teaches, students learn such skills as interior drywall, painting, crack filling, building design, and landscaping, among others. And the collaboration with Habitat for Humanity has been mutually beneficial.
“I really enjoy what [Habitat] does for the people,” said Grade 12 student Andrew Vibert. “During the summer, I work at a landscaping company, so it is improving my skills.”
Foreman was pleased with the students’ work and work ethic.
“We would love to have them back, for sure,” she said. “It’s definitely been a great opportunity for both the students and us because we get the help we need to do our builds, and they get the experience they’re looking for, for their projects.”
Said Valk: “We’re promoting the idea of citizenship and that these are skills you can use to give back to your community, but we’re also hopeful that they’ll realize that physical labour and working with your hands is enjoyable.”
“We’re all part of a community, and every little bit helps,” he said.