Two new homes being constructed in The Willows neighbourhood hold special meaning to local grade 10 students of the Building Futures program. 

For many, it's a once in a lifetime experience to help construct a home. For others, it may lay the course for a future career.

No matter what they choose to do with their futures, you can feel assured it will provide valuable skills they can take into adulthood.

Building Futures is now in its sixth year.

From pre-construction, all the way to two finished homes, 24 to 28 students each year engage in a real-world, authentic project that offers them both a robust educational experience and life-relevant skills.

Upon completion, the students receive their residential construction site manager level one academic accreditation, all while completing the curriculum for the Grade 10 school year.

What speaks volumes to the program's success is the number of students who have followed in the footsteps of brothers, sisters, and relatives who have previously participated, or have parents who work in the trades.

Alfredo Bracamonte's dad is a carpenter by trade and is now a general foreman.

His father encouraged him to enter the program. 

"I'm not thinking of going into the trades. I thought it would be a really neat opportunity to learn how to build a house. I just took it, and I'm glad I got in."

To be accepted for the program, students complete a detailed application.

"You are kind of pursuing them by giving them a bunch of reasons why you should be the program."

Colton Javorsky was sold on the program after his brother Austin enroled five years ago.

"He told me to apply for it, and it's just been so much better than having bells. You can come out on site, build a house, and still learn the curriculum."

Unlike Afredo, he is interested in pursuing a trade, possibly as a mechanic or framer.

Savaya Nolan took some sage advice from her sister and cousin.

"My sister did it, and my cousin did it and they both really liked it. They both recommended I should do it."

"At the end of the year, I went to their showcases and it was super cool to see everything they'd done throughout the year."

Like all the students, she's been involved in every aspect of construction, from framing and drywalling to HVAC, electrical and plumbing.

She says it's interesting to learn the ins and outs of the different trades. Her favourites, so far, have been framing and electrical.

Johnathan Labelle is following in the footsteps of his brother.

"My brother was in the program the first year it started, and he's now a first-year electrical apprenticeship. Also, my grandfather is an electrician. He also plumbs and everything. I worked with him in the summer."

"I was a little bit hesitant at first because all my friends were in regular school, but when I heard some others were coming over, I decided to just do it."

Johnathan enjoys working with his hands.

"I like electrical the most, I think. I get to work in a warm house and get to pull wires."

As it turned out, Johnathan's brother is on-site for the project, working for an electrical contractor.

There's also a former Building Futures student who was involved with the excavation.

Instructors Dave Pederson and Richard Dupre are seasoned educators who are in their first year with Building Futures. 

"It's one of the jobs everybody wants," says Pederson. "It's really exciting, a very interesting way to learn, and we have such great students. Working with Kingsmith Homes is pretty awesome, too."

"I taught in a traditional classroom for five or six years prior to this," says Dupre. "This is a different way to instruct. I'm no expert in the trades, either, so I get to learn, too. That's a cool part of teaching in the program."

The students came onsite in mid-September and are involved with every aspect of building the homes.

Besides learning construction skills, they also learn the importance of meeting deadlines.

Construction is on schedule, assure Pedersen and Dupre. 

"There are hard deadlines, and we have a big showcase in late May or early June. The house has to be the point where it's staged, so it has to be done by then."

Site manager Andrew Thiessen has been involved with the program for five of the six years it has been offered. He's with Kingsmith Homes, who have partnered with Bow Valley High School and the Rocky View Schools since the beginning.

Thiessen gets to watch the students build confidence as construction progresses.

"It's great," he says. "It gets them out of their shell. In the beginning, they're kind of quiet and reserved, and then near the end, they're outgoing and getting involved like grownups in the real working world."