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Madison Metropolitan School District

District Referenda Projects Yield Learning Opportunities with Building Partner

District Referenda Projects Yield Learning Opportunities with Building Partner

In the not-too-distant future, the 2020 MMSD referenda projects will transform the district high school experience by providing the resources necessary to support 21st century learning as scholars prepare to graduate college-, career-, and community-ready. Meaningful transformation does not happen overnight, and the renovation process is offering opportunities for scholars to experience immersion-type learning in the field of construction management.

Throughout November, scholars’ interest in architecture, construction management, and the construction trades was supported through collaboration with Findorff, the district’s construction manager, which hosted a series of informational career panels at East, Memorial, and West high schools. The sessions—three at both East and West, and one at Memorial, featuring a number of Findorff staff and professional partners—provided a forum for discussion on the progress of our referenda projects, and featured unique perspective into careers in the building sciences.

“At East, we have a number of scholars interested in exploring the construction trades, and it is important to nurture their curiosity by providing opportunities for them to research various career options,” said Tyler Kastner, East High academic and career planning coordinator. “By providing scholars access to companies like Findorff, they are able to learn directly from experts about the skills and knowledge necessary for this career track.”

One of the main goals of the panels was to shine a light on the myriad career paths the design and construction industries offer, and allow scholars to hear first-person perspectives from industry experts. Scholars in attendance found it both intriguing and surprising how many jobs in the construction trades require no prior experience, with opportunities available immediately upon graduation.

“I think it was eye-opening for a lot of scholars to hear they are able to graduate from high school and immediately begin earning a good wage in a career they enjoy, without the worry of student loans and other debt,” said Peter Saindon, Findorff senior project manager. “At West, we had an electrician and an iron worker take part in the construction trades panel, and they spoke about how their trade unions provided the required training and covered most of the costs associated with preparing them to be job-ready. Immediately after the panel ended, we had kids approaching us and asking, ‘How do I sign up?’”

On average, 15 to 20 students attended each panel at East and West, with the larger-format, single-day session at Memorial drawing nearly double that. Regardless of the focus or venue, the panels followed the same general format: each of the speakers walked scholars through their typical day, outlined the responsibilities of their role, discussed the path they traveled to arrive where they are, and shared what they most enjoy about the work they do.

“A common theme among our panelists, particularly for the construction trades sessions, was that they enjoy working with their hands and not sitting behind a desk, and I think that hit home with a lot of scholars,” said Tony Shepherd, Findorff project manager. “Also, at East, we were fortunate to have someone who actually attended the school and is now a Findorff project engineer sit on the panel, explaining his path and what he loves about what he's doing now, and I think it was impactful for the students to see someone who was once in their shoes succeeding in this industry.”

Given the anticipated timeline of the referenda work, this series marks the first in what will likely be a number of educational collaborations between the district and Findorff.

Follow the progress of each of these projects