Taking their construction skills to the next level, the creation of the new construction trades classroom is underway, led by new construction trades teacher, Chance Bricker. With this project, the construction trades career tech is also building a new tool crib to store their equipment.

Bricker was hired this past summer and has big aspirations for the renovations of their lab since the day he first stepped foot in the construction room. 

“When I came here over the summer to work and get prepared for the school year there was no room for the construction lab or room for the actual classroom,” Bricker said.

When Bricker arrived, the construction room was half lab space and half classroom, which created a big space issue with the upcoming surge of students going into construction this year. With 23 juniors, figuring out a way to make room for all of them without hindering their learning was a challenge. 

While they could not expand the room, they could build up. 

With the ceiling about 24 feet high they were able to build their classroom on a new second floor of the construction room. Underneath the new constructed classroom on the second floor is tool storage and lab space. 

The new classroom is set to give students a separate space to complete the curriculum side of their career tech. 

“Students will have the ability to take pride in what they’ve built. They will have a clean area to do the academic side of the work required for the course curriculum so as to achieve higher scores in industry credential testing and state exams,” Bricker said.

The significant aspect about this project is that the construction trades students have been able to help build this from the ground up. 

“We all sat down together and helped design how we wanted the room to be,” junior Hunter Whitt said. “It was neat being able to help design a classroom that will be used for years.”

Whitt, along with the rest of the construction trades students, have learned a lot from the construction of this new classroom. 

“I learned how to frame and layout and build a floor,” Whitt said.  

Both Bricker and his students feel that has been impactful on their class and their legacy that will last for many years to come. 

“We are actually building a heritage that will carry on for generations here at GlenOak High School that students can take pride in and say that, in 2021 when Mr. Bricker came to teach construction here, I helped to build the class that creates huge pride in the community for both students and other stakeholders,” Bricker said. 

“We are actually building a heritage that will carry on for generations here at GlenOak High School that students can take pride in and say that, in 2021 when Mr. Bricker came to teach construction here, I helped to build the class that creates huge pride in the community for both students and other stakeholders,” Bricker said. 

This project not only creates pride within the students but teaches a valuable lesson to them at the same time. 

“No matter how old you are or what ability level you have, it is a valuable resource that can be used to help throughout your life and the community you live in,” Bricker said. 

This is not the only project they will be working on this year. Bricker plans to create a shed outside the classroom in the future to store the stage props in. 

“We are continually working on projects for the Plain Local school district so this will free up more space to do those projects, as well as build mock up construction modules for each of the programs we’re teaching in here,” Bricker said. 

The future of the construction trades program is improving every inch of the way.