Superintendent Holly McClanan is proud to share that the Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical School recently launched a new partnership with Habitat for Humanity and began their first building project together.
Over the next two school years, students in the carpentry, electrical and HVAC programs will work alongside Habitat for Humanity staff and volunteers to assist in building two homes for community members as part of their integrated curriculums
Homes will be built on 10 Morse Road across from the South Easton campus, and on 26 Poquanticut Ave. The home on 26 Poquanticut Ave. will be a 1600-square-foot, two-story colonial with a walkout basement, three bedrooms and two full bathrooms. The lower level of the home will be plumbed for a future bathroom and bedroom as well.
The house on 10 Morse Road will begin construction in late 2025. The cape-style, single-story home will feature two attached units with three bedrooms and two bathrooms each.
Construction of the homes began on Monday, March 4 at 26 Poquanticut Ave. during a groundbreaking event.
Superintendent Holly McClanan, Principal Leslie Weckesser, Assistant Superintendent of Finance & Administration Mark Morris, Executive Director of Access and Engagement Christina Guarini, Access and Engagement staff Cameron Costa, Vocational Supervisors Jarrod Lussier and Mary Kobey, carpentry teacher Marc Raimondo, and students Shaylyn Harrington, Judek Kozuch, Andrew Pamphile, Carl Pierre, and Jaden Veiga were in attendance. Additionally, Beth Lyons, Executive Director of the South Shore Habitat for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity Construction Manager Sheri Green, Assistant Town Administrator for Easton Sean Dugan, and Town Administrator Connor Read were present.
Superintendent McClanan would like to commend Christina Guarini, Executive Director of Access and Engagement at Southeastern, for developing and fostering this partnership between the district and the global non-profit housing organization.
Superintendent McClanan said, "We reached out to the Habitat for Humanity organization to coordinate this partnership because we recognized the parallels between their mission of giving back to the community and our efforts to integrate our students' learning into real-world projects. To provide students with the opportunity to not only hone their skills but also truly make a difference in the Easton community is an essential component of Southeastern's vision."
While students in construction-related programs are currently building on-site, Southeastern plans to arrange volunteer opportunities for the project for all students and staff soon.
"Post-pandemic, we believe it is more important than ever to build a sense of inter-connectedness and community," Superintendent McClanan said. "Working together to support the city and towns where our students live is critical to nurturing the core values of citizenship, service, and altruism, no matter what disciplines our students specialize in."
From left to right: Southeastern students Jaden P. Veiga, Shaylyn J. Harrington, Judek L. Kozuch, Carl E. Pierre and Andrew F. Pamphile at the March 4 groundbreaking event in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. (Photo courtesy Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical School)
Southeastern students starting construction at the groundbreaking event. (Photo courtesy Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical School)
Hannah Sammut, John Guilfoil Public Relations, LLC