Every day in the woodshop classrooms of Dos Pueblos High School, students work to create projects both for their classes and their personal visions. Using a variety of different tools, they build cutting boards, chairs, clocks, and many other pieces.
“I think that this is a class that students should take because … it provides a great pathway for kids to jump into any kind of construction,” said Jacob Tyler, one of the two construction teachers at DPHS.
The Construction Tech Pathway at DPHS is one of the most popular pathways among students, with construction classes consistently having some of the longest waitlists in school, according to DPHS counselor Alyssa Mazloom. Students in the pathway learn woodworking skills as well as product design and general carpentry. While projects are assigned by teachers, students are also given space to create their own work.
“My favorite thing is seeing students’ ideas and visions be able to actually come to reality when making things,” Tyler said.
As a largely independent and project-based class, the Construction Tech Pathway is distinct from most other programs offered by the school. The pathway is made up of three courses, with students beginning in Construction Technology 1, where they learn basic skills and complete their first projects.
“I think everyone should take it. It’s pretty fun to take, and you can build whatever you want, which is pretty cool,” said Benicio Fuste (11), a teacher’s aide for Construction Technology 2.
In their second year, students take Gone Boarding, where they have the choice to build a snowboard, surfboard, or skateboard over the course of a year. The final class in the pathway is the Construction Technology 2 capstone course, where students work on building a tiny house and further explore personal projects.
“You can learn skills from it that you wouldn’t necessarily learn in other classes,” said Fuste.
For Fuste, the most important takeaway from these classes has been his growth in the ability to “measure and plan out” projects before he begins.
The construction pathway prepares students for work in the construction field after high school by teaching them safety, planning, and the hands-on skills necessary in the shop.
“[Construction is] just one of those jobs that’s very open to bringing new people in, training them up, and giving them good work,” said Tyler.
With the U.S. construction industry needing half a million workers in the next year to continue without decline, demand for skilled workers is growing quickly.
Fuste said that the skills he learned in class have encouraged him to explore pursuing a trade career post-high school.
“[The construction class] provides a great pathway for kids to jump into any kind of construction,” said Tyler.
Many students are eager to take advantage of this opportunity, with some completing the whole pathway and others taking just a single class.
“The aspects of [construction are] absolutely crazy, so having a great class that provides fundamentals of that is really cool,” Tyler said.
The construction classrooms at DPHS provide a space where students can be creative while learning real-world skills. Whether students are serious about pursuing construction or they simply want to experience hands-on learning, there is certainly room for their ideas.
