Ann Arbor Home Builder’s class has been building real-life experiences for local students for 50 years

While the Ann Arbor Home Builder’s class has been building homes for five decades, the program is more about helping build young lives and preparing them for what’s coming through the door of life.

“The whole process is rewarding but the most rewarding part of the process is bonding with these young students and helping them get traction in their life,” says Mark Valchine, the program’s on-site homebuilding instructor. “The house is awesome, but it’s really just a vessel we use to deliver these life skills that they are going to need to be successful in whatever endeavor they go into. While we hope we are training some future carpenters and tradesmen we are really training young people for whatever direction they choose.”

Students learn troubleshooting and how to deal with something that doesn’t go their way – just like they will experience down the road of life. “They learn how to deal with someone who sees something different than they do and get to work with the same people and also new people on a daily basis,” Valchine says. “It’s things they are going to encounter in the real world. It’s what real life is all about.”

This coming school year will be the 50^th anniversary of the Ann Arbor Public Schools/Home Builder’s Association home building course for high school students.

In 1970, a group of local members from the Home Builder’s Association including Henry Landau and Thomas Lancaster, partnered up with the Ann Arbor Schools to create a home building course in what became an exciting joint venture and partnership for students to develop real-life work experience.
 
“Every year we build one house so the program has built 49 houses since the program started,” Valchine says. “We have students from all five Ann Arbor High Schools, including Community and Pathways.”

The students in the program are the biggest ambassadors of the program. They share with other students what the program is all about and their enthusiasm certainly creates interest and has kept the class “building” in the right direction. 

For Jonah Stanevich, this type of work is in his DNA.

“I’ve been helping my grandfather do this sort of thing ever since we moved to Michigan,” said Stanevich, a junior last year at Community. “We had to do a lot of renovations on our first house here and I helped. Ever since I was little I enjoyed building and doing this sort of thing. The past few years I’ve been working more with my hands with things like leather, wood and stone and really enjoy it. So this was an excuse to spend more time doing what I like to do and also have a structured learning environment.”

“I’ve been helping my grandfather do this sort of thing ever since we moved to Michigan,” said Stanevich, a junior last year at Community. “We had to do a lot of renovations on our first house here and I helped. Ever since I was little I enjoyed building and doing this sort of thing. The past few years I’ve been working more with my hands with things like leather, wood and stone and really enjoy it. So this was an excuse to spend more time doing what I like to do and also have a structured learning environment.”

Stanevich said one of the great things about the programs is working alongside the “great” coaches.   

“I really like our coaches,” he said. “They are awesome to work with and very knowledgeable. They are really good teachers and good at what they do. I like the type of skills we are learning. And even if you don’t go on to do this sort of work as a career it’s great to know that you can either do the work yourself or know what to expect when the time comes to renovate or build a house.

“It wasn’t something I planned on doing as a career but the more I do it the more I love it so I’m now seriously thinking about it.”  

Mike Paskus was a senior last year at Community HS and joined the class after hearing about it from a classmate.

“I had a friend who was always talking about the program and how awesome it was,” Paskus said.

His friend went on and on about how it taught him useful skills he can use for the rest of his life – no matter what career path he chooses.  

“It wasn’t something I was serious about doing after high school but I’ve really enjoyed it,” Paskus said. “We learned how to frame walls, lay them out, how to do cuts right and know the names for all sorts of things.”

Grant Welch is a former student in the class who “graduated” to an assistant teacher with the program. He participated when he was a student at Huron High School in 2013. It’s now a full-time job for Welch, who also is going back to school to earn his teaching certificate.

“Yeah, he’s coming after my job,” says Valchine. “But we are all about mentoring and helping prepare people for the future they want and he’s great to work with. We have a great working relationship. Grant is the guy we have in mind to carry the torch for us.”      

The program is currently building homes in the Kirkway of Scio Township development and still have four lots owned by the program for building after this year. This year will be their fourth home in the local subdivision and marks the 50^th year of the program.

“A lot of the contractors we use have been with the program for years and once they get involved they really enjoy working with the students,” Valchine said. “A lot of them got into the business because they love what they do and sharing their passion and knowledge is a big motivation for them. They know and welcome the chance to work with and mentor the students.”

The hole for the basement is always dug on the second day of school and by the last day of school around June 15 there is a for sale sign on the front lawn. This past year’s house sold for the most ever in the program’s history, topping last year’s record sale.

The program fits into the high school curriculum so students earn course credit and they also earn a fourth-year math credit. “There is a lot of math involved in the construction and related field,” says Valchine.

The first day students show up is spent on the job site. There isn’t any time to waste when it comes to building a new home.

“That first day the lot is staked out and we are ready to dig,” Valchine says. “We go through the prep work that first day but the second day the excavators show up and we did the hole and we are off and running. It puts a lot of reality to the class compared to what they might be used to. We work with the foundation contractors but the students participate if not own every aspect of building a house from start to finish.”

It’s all about building a solid foundation – for the house and the students.