Construction spotlighted; After Hours, May 16

Shown in the photo at left, is the home before the Construction Trades class at Huntington North High School began working on the home. The lower photo at right photo shows the house as it sits today. The home is located at 249 Condit Street, Huntington.

Huntington Schools and Pathfinder are celebrating a successful partnership with Huntington North’s Construction Trades program. During the 2023-24 academic year, students transformed a home on Condit Street while learning the fundamentals of the construction industry.

Huntington North created a half day, three class period Construction Trades program to best meet the needs of students.

“Over the years we successfully offered an Introduction to Construction course,” said Tiffanney Drummond, Principal of the Huntington County Community Learning Center and Director of Career & Technical Education. “We wanted to expand upon what we could offer, and the scope of projects and experiences students could have while still in high school. Pathfinder has been a wonderful community partner this year.”

As part of the Construction Trades program, students took a principles of construction trades course, as well as construction trades: general carpentry and construction trades: framing and finishing courses. In addition to earning high school credits, students earned dual college credit from Ivy Tech Community College and were certified in OSHA 10.

Pathfinder purchased a home at 249 Condit Street, and worked hand in hand with Huntington North Construction Trades teacher Dave Harvey to provide students the chance to practice what they were learning in the classroom.

“Pathfinder’s purchase of this property gave my students an invaluable opportunity,” said Harvey. “Students worked on every aspect of the renovation, from demolition to roofing, siding and drywall.”

Additional contractors, such as Young Electric, assisted in the project and allowed students to observe licensed professionals at work.

A Huntington County Chamber of Commerce After Hours will be held on Thursday, May 16 from 4 to 6 p.m. at 249 Condit Street. Members of the community are welcome to attend. During the After Hours event the Huntington North construction students will give guided tours of the house. A brief program will be held at 4:30 p.m.

In addition to the construction pathway, HNHS offers students career pathways in accounting, advanced manufacturing/precision machining, agriculture, automotive, biomedical sciences, criminal justice, education, engineering, emergency medical services, pre-nursing (CNA), radio and television and welding. Students may also take a variety of elective courses in architecture, business, digital design, information technology, marketing, manufacturing and transportation.

The Huntington County Community Learning Center is a hub for career readiness, job search, workplace certifications and college learning opportunities. The center’s chief aim is to improve the skills of high school students and adult learners in Huntington County to meet the workforce needs of local industries. Among the center’s tenants are Ivy Tech Community College Northeast, WorkOne Northeast, Huntington County Community School Corporation and Huntington University. Impact Institute and the Huntington County 4-H Robotics Team are also located at the LC. The LC is also open to many community partners that regularly use the Community Conference Room for meetings and trainings. We are designed as a one-stop shop for those looking to go back to school, change career paths, and learn new skills.