Build-site classroom

Kansas’ Garden City Habitat is partnering with Garden City High School to give students a different sort of learning experience.

Students in drafting, welding and construction classes are assisting volunteers on site by taking measurements for baseboards and drywall and fabricating pieces for railings and stairways. Classes have made several field trips to the site, and instructor Richard Diller has plans for future drafting classes to work on designs for Habitat homes.

Since it began earlier this year, the partnership has grown to also include students in English classes, who are working on group presentations to raise awareness of Habitat’s work.

Garden City Habitat’s board president Bev Miller says the all-volunteer affiliate is excited to see how the partnership evolves. “This will be an awesome way for the students of our community to see how fellow neighbors help each other,” she says. “They will be able to have firsthand experience at following through on what they are doing in the classroom and learning of the compassion that is gained from helping others.”