Bittersweet Lane The Series Produced for
The High School House Project for 2006
Larry tells me these kids become attached to the house. Sure they worked out here in all kinds of weather, and complaints sometimes far outnumber any other form of communication among them, but the students become the house and the house becomes the students, and they can't help being a little emotional when the house is no longer their domain, and the ownership must transfer to a new family who has no idea of the blood, sweat, laughter and tears that went into this construction project. These young people had a very important experience whether they know it or not.
Many of these students come from families with long histories in the construction trades. One student revealed to me he been around construction sites with his father from the moment he could walk. There wasn't a tool or process he was unfamiliar with. and he did excellent carpentry work as well as masonry and concrete. He even made suggestions on certain construction strategies which were incorporated by Larry Cording who blended them right into the curriculum. "Experimentation and new techniques are all part of the building process," says Larry. And this particular student wasn't the only supremely experienced construction worker on the job site. One student has already worked for as many as five different construction related companies.
I also filmed the Interior Design students as they made their presentations before representatives of the Board of Realtors who help underwrite the project. Their creativity and the power of their presentations determined the final decor, color scheme, and finishing touches. To some of you folks who think buying a house built by high school students would be a risky business, think again. Under the watchful and expert eye of general contractor and instructor, Larry Cording, nothing substandard or less than perfect is allowed to stand. If it's not right, it's ripped out and redone. This doesn't happen too often. The houses that are the result of this process for the past nearly 20 years have always sold for excellent prices, and depending on the housing market, sometimes sell before they're completed. The materials and techniques are state of the art. So are the tools from Lowe's Home Improvement through a grant applied for by the Dubuque Schools Foundation (see below). Lowe's Corporation provided a $6,000 grant to the High School Applied Technology and Building Trades Education Program through the Dubuque Community School District Foundation. The grant money was turned into a truck load of hand and power tools at the local Lowe's Home Improvement Store. One of Lowe's store managers delivered the tools personally. The tools are used in classroom settings before the students embark on the job site. "This way our students will learn safe operation and proper applications," explains Larry who put his wish list together and submitted it to Lowe's when the grant award was announced. The grant was applied for by the Dubuque Community School District Foundation's Bob Parks who called Lowe's Corporation to inquire about their public service programs and what was available at the community level where they had their stores. Two episodes are on Channel 19 and I'm working on the rest of the series as you read this. The shows have garnered excellent feedback, and I was surprised at how many people didn't realize that we did such a project. All three high schools can participate including Wahlert High School. Financing for the project this year was provided by Premier Bank, and advising on the design of the house is the Dubuque Board of Realtors who provide marketing assistance as well. You can catch the show on Mediacom Cable 19, but you can also download episodes on demand from the project's website above. |
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ay I ask, have you met the crew of High School House 2006, "Bittersweet Lane" on Mediacom Channel 19 yet? Bittersweet Lane is the street on which the High School House project is located in that lovely subdivision off Kennedy Road near the entrance to the Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. But the name of that street is somewhat poetic under these circumstances. For all of these students, this street and this house will serve as a constant reminder of their high school careers, a reminder of their youth, their creativity, and perhaps some memories they would sooner forget but most they'll treasure the rest of their lives. 
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I spent a good part of the school year filming their progress and I got to know them. I marveled at their skills and the experience displayed by these student who, by the way, were merciless jokesters, typical of their generation. 
I carefully chronicled most major steps in the process of building this house, and I have produced a series of shows dedicated to these fine young people and their spectacular project. 
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