Dakota’s Construction Class Builds Habitat Homes, Lays Career Foundations

When you enter the Dakota Construction Trades building, the hammers, table saws, circular saws, drills, plumbing and electrical materials are to be expected, but what might surprise visitors is the almost-completed 1,250-square-foot home that Joe Churches' class has built from the ground up this school year.

Churches, a Central Michigan University graduate, is in his 12th year teaching at . On top of other building projects, he guides his students through building one home each school year.

The home currently under construction is sponsored by Habitat for Humanity of Macomb.

“Basically, they pay for all the costs going into it and we do have some donations that come in,” Churches said.

The students are involved in the entire process, from framing that first wall, to the plumbing and electrical work, to putting that final coat of paint in the living room.

“It took me about five years to get everything in place with Habitat for Humanity, and then we built the first house for Detroit," Churches said. "Then they handed us over to Macomb County, and Macomb has been fantastic.

“The first year walking in, I told the kids we were going to build a house and the kids couldn’t believe it. Now a lot of students take this class because they want to (be involved in building a house). They know what kind of quality I’m looking for and nothing less. If it’s subpar, we start again."

Churches said he believes credit is also due to members of the community who have believed in and supported the program since its beginning.

"I thank them for that," Churches said. "That is paramount."

And if the pros list for the class wasn't long enough, the home is green, too, with all the installation used in the house made from recycled materials.

The home's new owners will hopefully be able to move in by summer, but until that time, the students builders will be putting the finishing touches on the home and building a 10-by-10 custom playhouse for the family that bid the highest at the recent .

“This is actually my first year (in the class)," said senior Justin Decker. "We built this home from scratch, from laying out the blocks to putting up the walls to putting the roof on and now we are painting.”

Upon graduation, Decker is planning to enroll in a two-year program through Michigan Caterpillar to become a diesel engine technician.

“I feel like (the Construction Trades program) will help me in the long run," Decker said. "When you own a home, you need to know how to repair stuff. I learned how to repair drywall, all kinds of little plumbing things that need to be fixed, electrical problems and stuff like that."

Churches said the class has also laid the foundation for many of his students for a career in construction.

“I have some kids who have come out of here who are now electricians, plumbers and other construction-related jobs, he said. "I have several kids that I am in constant contact with and even come back to work on the houses we build."

When asked if he felt a sense of accomplishment while working on the house, Dakota senior Brandon Barwick said: “It feels good and we got it all finished and a lot faster than I thought. I actually thought we weren’t going to finish, but we did.”

Barwick plans to take more construction classes when he attends college next year.

"I like building homes a lot, building the base of the house, framing the walls and all that stuff," he said. "Painting is not my favorite thing."

There will be an open-house dedication on June 3 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Construction Trades Building (located across from the football stadium) for the community to come and inspect the students' work. The process to move the home to its Clinton Township location will begin the following Monday.

A newly poured full basement through Habitat for Humanity will be awaiting its arrival.