TAFT, Calif. (KERO) — Students from Habitat for Humanity Centennial at Centennial High in Bakersfield helped build a home for a local family in Taft.
- The Habitat for Humanity Golden Hawks Club is the first of its kind in Kern County to offer hands-on building experience and is entirely student-run.
- Students are learning various skills such as laying pipes, digging trenches, nailing skids.
- Students are excited to contribute to a home that benefits a mother and her two sons in need.
The sound of hammers and hard work fill the air Saturday morning as students from Centennial High School’s Habitat for Humanity Taft help a local family build a home. This unique collaboration between Habitat for Humanity and a high school offers students a valuable opportunity to transition from classroom learning to real-world applications.
“Students do not always have the opportunity to be in the workplace if they are minors, and in this case, with the proper permit and security, we were able to actually employ the students,” explains Pierre Picha, the school’s architect. and an engineering teacher. Under his leadership, the first-ever Habitat for Humanity Golden Hawks Club in Kern County offers students hands-on construction experience in a completely student-run environment.
Students are eager to do different tasks. “So we learn how to build pipes, dig trenches for those pipes, do nails and sheathing, finish exterior walls,” said Ellie Miller, one of the club members. He notes the difficulties encountered on the site, especially with regard to nailing. “You definitely nail the nails into the earrings, they bend very easily, so it was very difficult to get the right nail,” she says.
Co-president Saffa Khan also emphasizes the value of hands-on experience. “It’s amazing to be able to act here, to see how things are built. I mean, we hear about it, but we never see it, so it’s a really good experience to learn more about it,” he explains. What started as a small group of Saffa and Ellie has now grown into a club of 40 enthusiastic students.
Pisha points out an important lesson learned through this experience: “Many students don’t realize how hard work building a house or working in the construction industry can be and how rewarding it can be. Our students probably went home tired and satisfied today.”
The students were encouraged to know that their efforts would provide a home for a mother and her two sons. Their eagerness and desire to help their families in the community is obvious.
With each passing day, Centennial High officials express their enthusiasm for such future opportunities, recognizing the importance of hands-on learning and community service. Through such initiatives, students not only build a home, but also develop skills and character that will serve them well in the future.
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