WKEF: Springfield-Clark CTC students gain trade skills building Habitat house for one family

Описание: WKEF 2/27/2026

CLARK COUNTY, Ohio (WKEF) -- Students getting trade experience while helping with the housing shortage. Carpentry students at Springfield-Clark Career Technology Center are working with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Dayton to help build a home for one family.

Springfield-Clark CTC prepares 800 students each year to be career ready, college ready, and life ready. Through hands on training in 20+ in demand programs. School officials say students graduate with industry credentials, real-world experience, and a clear path forward.

Recently a grant was awarded to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Dayton to partner with the school to build a habitat home and train students in the homebuilding trade.

"It's incredibly exciting to see the fruits of their labor come to fruition here. it's like a labor of love all of the partnerships that came together they get to see exactly why we do what we do.," said Michele Patrick, Springfield Clark CTC superintendent.

The 1,300-square-foot home will have three bedrooms, one bath along with a great sized kitchen and living room. Students who've been working on the project say they gotten hands on experience which better prepares them to enter the workforce upon graduation.

17-year-old Carson Doogs, a carpentry junior at Northeastern High School says the house started from nothing and now you can see where it's at now.

"Lots of hard work and the cold and heat, but we did it for the love of it and that's all that matters," said Doogs.

Doogs says ever since he was a young kid he's always tinkered around.

"I've always had a love for just tinkering," said Doogs. "I think the construction and carpentry aspect for me is just a wonderful option. I've always had a love for building. If you had a truck or a tractor or even a little tool out. I'd just sit there and watch for hours and hours."

With a shortage of skilled trade labor and the challenges of affording a house, the executive director for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Dayton says this partnership is perfect.

"Every nail they drive, every board they cut, they're actually thinking about the fact that this project they're working on it's a real home, and it's going to be a real home for a real family," said Norm Miozzi.

This partnership with habitat to build homes not only addresses the need for housing but provides CTC students fueling their passion for the construction industry making them standout candidates for employers.

"Most important things that they've gained were understanding the different parts of the industry, seeing their work come to fruition, being able to give to a family that otherwise may not be able to afford a house of this nature, and the friendships they're building," Patrick said.

The home will be moved from to a designated lot in New Carlisle. Once completed at the new location and sold to a habitat partner family, who will buy the house from habitat with a 0% interest mortgage rate payment.