Carpentry & Building Construction

Unit 1: Preparing to Build

WebQuests

Construction in the Community

Introduction

When you perform a community service, you are using your skills to give back to your neighborhood or town. Community service can take many forms. For example, it might mean organizing a food drive or volunteering time at the library. If you have construction skills, you can do a lot of good for your community. This WebQuest may give you new ideas for using your carpentry skills to benefit others.

The Task

Many people find it rewarding to help those around them. To start making a difference, first you need to decide where your assistance is needed most. Your town's Chamber of Commerce has asked residents to propose community service projects for high school students. Council members are looking for ideas that will create lasting improvements for many people. Your task is to research and identify construction-related community services. Then you will pitch your most promising idea to the Chamber of Commerce. Your proposal should include the following

• a 200 word description of the building project;
• an assessment of who will most benefit;
• visual aids to help Council members picture your project, such as photographs, drawings,
• a plan for getting students interested and involved.

The Process
To write a winning proposal, you will need to complete the following steps.

• Research the different types of construction-related community services. The following Web sites show the range of possibilities.
  Idealist.org
  Habitat for Humanity
  National Association of Home Builders
  National Trust for Historic Preservation
  NeighborWorks America
  U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
  Volunteer.gov
• Brainstorm a list of at least five construction-related community service ideas for your neighborhood or town.
• Next to each idea, write down who will benefit from the project.
• Select the idea that interests you most and promises a big impact to the community, and write a winning proposal.

Guidance
To improve your proposal, consider these questions.

1. The best projects will receive support from individuals and local businesses. Which businesses might assist your project, either with financial contributions, in-kind donations, or volunteer labor?
2. If your proposal is selected by the City Council, do you think it will interest other high school students? How will you get them involved?
3. How will you inform community residents of the new facility, once it is ready for use?
4. Once your project is completed, will it require regular maintenance or upkeep?

Conclusions

• Visit your nearby city or state park and consider what improvements are needed.
• Ask your neighbors what services or projects they think would be appropriate for high school students and would benefit the neighborhood.
• Once you have completed your proposal and visual aids, present your proposal to your classmates.
• Turn in your initial brainstorm, written analysis, and presentation materials to your teacher.

Questions

• If you were a City Council member, what criteria would you use to select the winning proposal?
• Why is it so difficult to assess the impact of a community development project?
• Describe the reasons a construction or contracting company might support local community development activities.
• Summarize how high school students can benefit from performing community service, in addition to the benefits to others.