OBJECTIVE: Ignite student interest in the construction trades, health care, advanced manufacturing, transportation, and high tech careers by providing hands-on opportunities to build awareness, encourage exploration, and engage through real-world experiences that dovetail with regional pathways in high-wage, high-demand fields.
WHAT: Retired school buses no longer being used for transportation are being transformed into homes and mobile medical facilities.
WHO: SOESD's STEAM Hub, Talent Maker City, the Skoolie Home Foundation, Justin Eagar (SMHS Construction Teacher) and other partners seek to bring these opportunities to the Rogue Valley by uniting business and education interests to advance CTE/STEM opportunities for rural students, families living on low incomes, students of color, and girls by addressing Southern Oregon's dire need for temporary and transitional housing in the wake of the 2020 wildfires that ripped through our most vulnerable communities.
HOW: Engage all grade levels and districts through Career Connected Learning.
Curriculum is being developed for easy replication for continued project and designed to impart employability skills while supporting construction skills acquisition Virtual sharing of each stage of the build through Oregon Connections NEPRIS platform allowing access for all students to engage remotely.
Career Awareness: Converting the school buses to housing will require experts from multiple industry sectors: carpentry, plumbing, electrical and welding will all be introduced by industry professionals; exposing students to different career pathways in construction
Career Exploration: through Project Based Learning, students will have an opportunity to work directly on the bus or remotely helping to construct something that will make the bus a home
Career Preparation: students will practice skills directly aligned to industry through in class offerings, after school programming and out of school Construction Internship Programming
Career Training: Construction Internship Programming will directly prepare students for careers in the Construction trades