Building valuable skills

Students at Marina High School got a glimpse of the real world of construction.

They built a house.

More than two dozen industrial technology students spent almost two months planning, constructing and putting together the 16-by-16-foot studio apartment-like house, in what turned out to be a project that brought the whole school together, said building and construction teacher Bob Meade.

“It was a good goal to achieve,” said Joey Martin, 17, who built the walls of the house. “It took a lot of weeks and time to build all the walls and make the concrete. And it took a lot of people working together. It’s nice to see everything coming together and people working together.”

The school is the only one in the district that offers a full line of industrial technology classes, which include welding and auto shop, said Principal Paul Morrow.

“It’s a valuable skill for our kids,” he said. “They finally get to see what math does for them and why reading is important. It’s a good meaning to their learning.”

The house included a kitchen, bathroom and living room area.

The school also works with Costa Mesa-based Coastline Regional Occupational Program (ROP), which provides the students with advanced auto shop, electric and plumbing training, Meade said. Meade and teacher Matt Wilfert put together the plan for the students.

Once the bricks and walls were ready, the students put the house together in five hours during the school day May 13. Many students from throughout the school stood to watch, Meade said.

The students then spent about another week putting together the plumbing and electricity before taking the house down over Memorial Day weekend, Meade said.

The wood will go toward making rocking chairs to sell and raise funds for the program, he said.

The industrial technology classes are another tool to help students succeed because not all students are going to college, Morrow said.

“Some people will go to trade schools, and these kind of courses give the school the ability to satisfy the need of all of our students,” he said.

Alex Kreisberg, 18, who is graduating this year, said everyone needs these types of training.

“Even if it’s not your profession, it’s good to know these things,” she said.

Both Kreisberg and Joey said they plan to go to college but eventually get into construction for a career.

“I like building and I like working with my hands, and not always sitting in a class and reading a book,” he said, adding that he plans to go to Cal State Long Beach for a degree in engineering.

Kreisberg plans to attend Golden West College before transferring to a university.