In the Clovis High Construction Technology Lab Classtime is Hammertime.

The construction technology class at Clovis High School is one of four project-based curriculum courses in the Clovis High Construction Careers Pathway.

The Pathway begins at the middle school where students gain beginner skills in shop safety, hand drafting and design, materials and handling, and construction math. Once students enter high school they expand their knowledge as they work through hands-in introductory construction units, including basic framing, electrical, plumbing, drawing and drafting, and plan reading.

By the time students reach the 11th and 12th grades, they are fully equipped with the skills to work on a structure that is built completely from the ground up in the school’s unique learning lab.

“What we’re trying to do is give the students a chance to recreate the building process, but in a controlled lab environment,” said instructor Jay Eichmann. “We start with a clean lot at the start of the year. We do the concrete slab, the floor systems, the walls, and as the year progresses, we get to the roof, and by the end of the year these structures will be completely enclosed.”

All projects built in the lab are fully funded by community support before any of the construction processes begin. By the end of the school year, each of the structures will be complete and ready to ship to their owners.

“When these structures end up in the community, one of the best things is the students get the satisfaction of being able to drive by the project and say, ‘I built that,’ which is one of the greatest things about construction,” Eichmann said.

The Construction Technology class is open to all high school students in the Clovis Unified School District. Courses dovetail with the Fresno State Construction Management program and offer students direct entry into carpentry apprenticeship programs throughout the Central Valley.