Program

The School Build Community Partnership Program, brought to you by Neighborhood Housing Inc., provides local Appleton high school students from East, West and North High Schools with unique hands-on work experience, while helping families in need find affordable housing.

Each house is built by the students with guidance from Marcus McGuire, AASD instructor and program director. Students participate in every step of the construction process from the ground up.

Students hang drywall, frame the house, install windows and doors, and work on electrical and plumbing alongside hired contractors.

“The students are getting paid with major life experiences,” said Marcus McGuire, AASD Program Coordinator and Instructor. “With the skills we’re giving them, they can go on to do what they want in life and make living wages.”

In addition to hands-on learning in residential building construction, universal design, interior design, architectural methods and green building concepts, the students gain valuable insight by seeing first-hand the positive impact affordable housing options for independent living can have in their community.

“The partnership between AHA and AASD seeks to inspire and energize young people to learn more about affordable housing and how they can make a difference in their community now and in the future.”
–Debra Dillenberg, AHA Executive Director

“This (duplex) is all ours and we can stand back and look at it and say ‘Yeah, I did some of that and someone who needs it is going to live here.'”
–Sean Steffens, Appleton West