Students in Spruce Grove building house as part of high school curriculum

Students work on a home building project in Parkland County. (Brandon Lynch/CTV News Edmonton)

Students from the Parkland School Division lifted into place the first wall on a home they are building in Spruce Grove as part of their curriculum.

The project is part of the Building Futures program, a partnership between Parkland School Division and Coventry Homes, which offers Grade 10 students a chance to gain hands on trades experience.

"I’m more of a hands on worker, I don’t really like sitting in a desk all day, so I thought like, you know, getting my hands a little bit dirty would be fun," said Tierra Smith, a Grade 10 student.

"The biggest thing is just interaction with other people, it doesn’t matter what you do for work, whether you’re in construction, in real-estate or working in an accounting office," said Scott Pinder, site superintendant with Coventry Homes. "When you learn to interact with other people and communicate, it just helps build you for whatever you want to do in your future."

The students will be guided through the entire construction process of the duplex, including framework, plumbing, heating and design. The program will be supplemented by core classroom classes at Copperhaven School nearby.

The house is expected to be completed before the end of the school year so a new group of students can begin another project next fall.