Union County Schools Partner with Habitat for Humanity

Blairsville, Ga – Union County Schools CTAE department partners with Habitat for Humanity to help students learn trade skills and build homes for the community.

Announced in the August Board of Education meeting, CTAE Director Josh Davis presented details for students to participate in constructing Habitat for Humanity homes while at school.

“We’ve met with [Habitat] a couple of times, and we’re really just waiting to finalize the plans,

“We’re hoping our construction program will be building full-on houses on school grounds.”
Students would build houses during class time as part of their CTAE program curriculum, and Habitat for Humanity would take completed units back to construction sites.

“Our students will go out and be able to finish the house on-site as well, so that’s very exciting and pretty neat,” said Davis.

The partnership will result in two-times the number of homes being built in the community and offer pathways in multiple disciplines to UCS students.

Habitat for Humanity Representative Richard Daves, “We think it’s an amazing opportunity for us.

This is patterned off something in Lumpkin County, and it’s working very well.”

Program leaders visited Lumpkin County to gain a better understanding of the collaboration worked between the school and the non-profit organization.

With the partnership, students now have pathways in carpentry, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and masonry.

“It’s not just teaching them a skill. It’s teaching them compassion. It’s teaching them working in their community [and] working with people that maybe do not have the funds that they do,” stated Chair Cynthia Odom.

CTAE also applied for a College and Career Academy grant for $3M to expand program capabilities if awarded. The welding programs undergoing recertification in 2019.

Davis plans to continue mock interviews for ninth graders, pathway tours for middle schoolers, and begin a new youth science program at the middle and high school as well as success center.

The youth science program addresses aptitude tests for students to take and gain assistance on future career paths.