As reported on CBC News, high school students from Maskwacis will build homes for elders in their community, in exchange for school credit that can be used toward an apprenticeship in the construction industry.

“I feel like I’ll do something really good for an elder, this will really help them,” said Evan Buffalo, an Ermineskin Junior Senior High School student who signed up for the program.

“It’s an honour, pretty much, because elders are very important to our communities.”

Fellow Grade 10 student Rayden Roasting said she wanted to do her part to help care for the community’s senior members.

“They’ve done so much for us,” she said.

Six to eight new homes will be built on former powwow grounds, near the Maskwacis townsite.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held last week on the Ermineskin Cree Nation, one of the four First Nations that form Maskwacis.

YC Homes, a mobile company that specializes in building housing through educational opportunities, is running the Journey To Apprenticeship program.

Students earn credits toward graduation and build up hours that can be applied to an apprenticeship if they choose to pursue a career in the trades, said YC Homes spokesperson Jay Noel.

“It’s life skills. It’s to inspire,” said Noel.

Construction on the first house will start in May. Work will continue throughout the summer.

Indigenous Services Canada provided close to $1 million to fund the project.

Keep reading on CBC News

 

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