Thank You to Our Partner: Brookstone Homes

March 16, 2008 - This was an awesome opportunity for the students of the Oconomowoc School District. By undertaking this project with us, Brookstone Homes afforded our students a very rewarding experience. The house building project gave our students a real life classroom in which to learn and gain a unique perspective to understanding the construction industry. I am grateful to everyone who had a helping hand in realizing the importance of an endeavor such as this; a group that includes an advisory committee, local businessmen, and our administration.

Working with Brookstone Homes has been such a great partnership. Every member of their team has been a positive and supportive force throughout the development if this Cap Stone Program. I can’t say enough about the personnel we dealt with. As an instructor, I found the staff we worked with to be top-notch and thoroughly professional. The ability they had to communicate with and educate our students was not only instructive but nurturing at the same time. Our students not only learned estimating, ordering, scheduling and quality control; but they also learned what it felt like to be accountable for things as well. They allowed the students supervisory positions which taught them how to run and organize the entire process of building a home. The sub-contractors were patient and great mentors for the students as well. The contractors showed and taught their carpentry disciplines. Every student connected with once facet or another and was able to clarify career decisions because of them. Students learned there is a lot more to building a house than just the framing of the wood. They found an inside perspective on the different trades, the business side of marketing, team work and the importance if dependability and workmanship.

I was extremely proud of our students for their ability to learn and eagerness to grow. They showed incredible growth in understanding the importance of team work and developing professional attitudes.

They made a lot of people proud, especially their school. The lessons they learned are not just lessons in carpentry but life lessons that will help them in everything they will do in their individual futures.

I feel the students of this project and our district as a whole; owe a special thanks to Steve DeCleene, Vice President of Brookstone Homes, and the entire Brookstone Homes Company, for the positive approach they took to this educational program. They never asked – why should we build a house with these students? Rather, they always took the approach, of – how can we make it happen.

I think the outcome of this opportunity met and exceeded everyone’s goals. Each student that was involved benefited from the project in his own way. It gave the students a chance to get immersed in many different trades. Students were able to evaluate each trade and decide on which ones they wanted to further pursue. Some of the students really enjoyed the business portion of the industry. Others were more interested in the physical skills. One student has decided to go to college and become a teacher in Tech Ed – strictly because of the impact the Tech Ed classes have made on him. When it’s all said and done; isn’t that the point of education? To give our students the knowledge and opportunity to pursue their dreams.

Written and Submitted By:  Steve Olson, Building Trades Instructor - Oconomowoc High School