In school year 2010-11, students in the
Academy of Construction and Design at Cardozo Senior High
School will gain pre-apprenticeship training in carpentry,
electrical, HVAC and other technical specialties while constructing
an approximately 2,000 sq. ft. single family house on a site
in Northwest Washington. D.C.’s first student-built
house will feature energy efficient design, materials and
construction. The program, called Build a House – Build
a Future, is sponsored by the nonprofit D.C. Students Construction
Trades Foundation in partnership with District of Columbia
Public Schools Career and Technical Education and will revitalize
a vacant residential lot donated by the District Department
of Housing and Community Development.
Nearly 300 students have enrolled in career and technical
education programs at the Academy of Construction and Design
since it opened at Cardozo Senior High School in 2005. With
a 90 percent high school graduation rate among seniors enrolled
in its technical study programs, the Academy is putting students
on the path to jobs and higher education in architecture,
construction, facilities management and electrical design.
“My career ambition has always been
to become an architect,” says Joshua Atkins, a Norman
Dreyfuss scholarship winner and recent graduate of the Academy
of Construction and Design at Cardozo Senior High School in
Washington, D.C. “I started drawing at an early age
and was always encouraged to pursue a career in art. Studying
in the Academy was the first time that I had become part of
a community that embraced my talents and skills. The staff
and teachers helped me learn about construction and design
fields. Classes in carpentry and electrical, along with my
summer internship working on a home building project in the
community, led to my decision to enter college and study to
become a residential architect.”
“In these training programs, we are
encouraging students to stay in school and graduate with skills
they can use in work, college and careers,” says Academy
manager Shelly Morrison. “This expansion of our construction
education program will benefit Academy students and the local
community for years to come.”
October 26, 2010 – Groundbreaking
Ceremony (read
more)
Welcome to the Academy of Construction
and Design
at Cardozo Senior High School.
View video highlights of our training programs:
