Rotary Club Supports Construction Programs At Roswell Schools

From Roswell Rotary:Just as schools are in full swing for 2018-19, so is Roswell Rotary in helping those schools. Roswell Rotary believes that its members are invaluable in contributing to programs that benefit the area school children and community. In addition to programs such as collecting schools supplies headed by member June Brown each year, or Roswell Rotarian Becky Nelson leading district Rotarians as they serve with Interact Clubs, or Stand Up for Kids lead by member Robert Fezza where Rotarians mentor homeless high schoolers that need support and motivation to stay in school and graduate, Roswell Rotary is supporting the construction programs in local schools.

This year, a $10,000 grant was awarded to Roswell High School (RHS), Roswell Rotary and North Fulton Rotary by Rotary District 6900 for use in the Career and Technical Education Program at RHS. In late September, various tools such as circular saws, drill bits, orbital sanders, reciprocating saws, anvils, trowels, routers, and battery chargers were among the much needed equipment for the RHS construction program. Roswell Rotary President and chair of the Construction Advisory Board since its inception, Becky Stone believes “it is vital for our students to know that there are lots of options after high school and our construction industry professionals need a pipeline of trained students coming out of high school. The RHS Construction program is a win-win for students and industry in Roswell.”

The Construction Program in RHS began in 2013. Today, about 80 students take classes in four areas: carpentry, electrical, masonry and plumbing. The RHS cluster is being used as a model for the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia’s (CEFGA) K12 Pipeline initiative. Roswell Rotarian Zach Fields, CEFGA Vice President - K12 Pipeline, saw the opportunity to get students excited about a future in construction at an early age while he was teaching construction at Roswell High School – a program he lobbied the school for and offered to teach. According to Fields, “Skilled Trade or ‘Craft Professional’ programs such as the RHS Construction program offer our young people a direct pathway to a rewarding career in the booming construction industry which is leading all other sectors in Georgia with a growth rate of 10%. With low barriers to entry and tremendous upward economic mobility, a career in construction is a great option for students to consider. When we take into account the increased demand for skilled trade talent, the shortage of available workers, and an aging workforce, we have the perfect storm of unprecedented opportunity for our youth.”

Jenny Horton, President of Collins and Arnold Construction Company, AGC Board Member and RHS Construction Advisory Board Member, uses this program as an example to fellow contractors around the state who have adopted high school construction programs. The Roswell program is unique in several ways. It has tremendous community support through the Roswell Rotary Club. In addition to the new equipment grant, a $5,000 grant is provided each year and their members volunteer in the schools. The program has industry support through advisory board members who support the programs by donating money, time and materials. And it encompasses the entire cluster of schools that feed RHS. This program has reached down to middle schools now offering construction as a connections class and elementary schools with a construction club that meet after school one day a week. Horton says, “We can reach students at an early age and get them excited about our industry. They are exposed to age appropriate tools and skills that we hope will carry them into high school and beyond. With this model, we have the opportunity to expose hundreds of students to our industry before they get to high school.”

Roswell Rotary also supports the Toolbox program in Roswell elementary schools. Toolbox delivers age appropriate construction technology learning programs in Georgia's elementary schools, called the Young Apprentice (YA) program. Currently Toolbox is in six elementary schools: Mimosa, Vickery Mill, Mountain Park, Roswell North, Hembree Springs, Sweet Apple. Students going to Elkins or Crabapple Middle Schools have the opportunity to take Construction Technology as an elective course. The Roswell school system is the only elementary to high school construction pipeline in Georgia.

Adult leaders, like Roswell Rotarians John Ross and Ken Briggs, in the Toolbox program are called Project Managers. J Prothero, heading up Toolbox, says they regard safety as the supreme priority, keep students focused on quality control so skills are honed and pride is achieved, and encourage teamwork with student's chosen or assigned a "buddy." Students make their own individual projects. YA students make a birdhouse or a toolbox. Middle school students work on projects that involve framing, plumbing, electrical and masonry skills.

With the average graduation rate for our state hovering at 80%, strong CTAE (Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education) programs are a necessity for improving outcomes for all students. By offering K-12 construction education, the benefits to students and the North Fulton community are numerous. Roswell Rotary and the construction programs are a natural fit as Roswell Rotary prides itself in working to empower youth, creating lasting change, and improving our community.

Image via Roswell HS