The energy was palpable at Pro New England’s Youth Remodeling Career Day! With 33 exhibitors and 500 students from eastern Massachusetts trade schools, this year’s event was a great success. At JM Construction, one of our core values is being charitable and this event provided an opportunity to give back to our community in two different ways – through building the skills of the next generation and providing a gift to a worthy organization – all while having fun with some pretty talented young men and women!
Our interactive exhibit was a big hit – a true team effort building a playhouse for the Metrowest Boys and Girls Club. Skipper, Jeff, Justin, and Wendy attended the career day and directed our hands-on station. They were impressed with the quality of students who helped build the playhouse and they all had the same encouraging takeaway: there were lots more young women participating this year.
Wendy Ballou, our Operations Manager, who’s been in the industry for over 25 years was particularly encouraged by the growing number of women this year, “It was great to see so many young women considering the construction trades for their future. They are needed and will be a valuable addition to our workforce. The students who engaged with us liked trying some power tools, discussing the possibility of co-op opportunities, and really liked eating our candy of course!”
Skipper said that a lesson learned was that there are no breaks once the event was underway! Once the students started coming, there was no letting up. He joked, “they were all nice kids, some giving support to their friends; others having fun at the expense of their friends.” But all joking aside, the students were genuinely excited to use some of the tools. The hands-on experience was definitely a draw.
The creation of playhouse at the Pro New England Youth Remodeling Career Day was a true team effort:
- Ashland Lumber donated the wood and materials.
- Skipper, Jeff and Justin directed the students who built the playhouse.
- Paint Pro provided the paint as a finishing touch.
- Courtney and Ashley painted the playhouse once it returned to our shop.
- Justin delivered it to the Metrowest Boys and Girls club who already has it setup in their playroom for kids to enjoy.
If your organization wants to join in the fun next year, we’re happy to team up. Email our office manager, Cheyann Abrek so we can start discussing what we can build for next year’s exhibit.
If your organization wants to join in the fun next year, we’re happy to team up. Email our office manager Cheyann Abrek so we can start discussing what we can build for next year’s exhibit.
Click an image to expand and see more photos of kids decorating and enjoying their new playhouse!