OGDEN — Sara Little inspected the inside of a shed, which she never could have helped build a year earlier.
“It’s all about the structure,” said Little, “in building sheds and in building a life.”
One shed and nine playhouses, each with a matching dog house, will go up for auction on Saturday. Money raised will help finance Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College’s YouthBuild program, part of a national program designed to teach construction skills and renovate public and low-income housing at the same time it helps struggling young adults to build a stronger foundation for their lives.
“I was one of eight girls when I started, and I’m the only one left,” said Little, 19, a Farr West resident. “This program has helped me change, and mature a lot. It has taught me leadership. It’s a great program, worth finishing. You just have to be willing to help yourself.”
Orlando Treto, 19, from Clearfield, was working on the other side of the construction shop, putting the final touches on a solid dog house with a distressed-wood finish.
“For me, the program opened a whole new door to opportunities I thought were closed,” Treto said. “I was at a breaking point, and had gotten into trouble with the law, and my friends weren’t there for me like I thought they would be. Then YouthBuild came along.”
The students’ new optimism, skills and confidence are especially evident in the playhouses, which all feature windows, lights and electrical outlets, and which range from regal to whimsical. Some examples:
• A playhouse named The Governor’s Mansion features a 48-square-foot interior, parquet hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, a custom wood and slate mantel, a loft and a pillared front porch.
• Murphy’s Manor is more modest at 39 square feet, and features wall-to-wall carpeting, a flower box and wooden trim, and a breakfast nook.
• Creek Side Lodge is 32 square feet and is made of reclaimed solid wood, with a pillared porch, custom milled molding and two-tone interior paint.
• And the Ohana Family Lodge, at 54 square feet, features dormers, carpet, a neutral color palette and wrought-iron trim.
YouthBuild is open to students age 16 to 24. They have to be drug free, willing to work hard in a team setting, and committed to building a better community through volunteer service.
Students are paid a wage and taught construction skills. They can earn a high school diploma, GED and/or a vocational certificate.
“I would say they learn 20 percent construction skills and 80 percent life skills,” said Rick Brown, a construction technology instructor at OWATC.
“Maturing is the biggest result of this program,” said Sean Mathis, YouthBuild construction instructor. “Young adults who started the program confused and scared are now more confident and prepared for the world.”
YouthBuild students remodeled five apartments for Your Community Connection and four for homeless veterans.
Besides training in basic construction skills, the 33 new graduates took classes in leadership, health, communication and other life skills. They will leave the program with coaches who will follow their progress for a year, offering job leads and tracking their successes, providing further guidance as needed.
During the program, 19 students earned high school diplomas and seven got their GED. Eighty-five percent of students had literacy gains that brought them up to competency levels. Most earned skill certificates or honors that will help them get jobs.
Eleven students plan to enter college next year. Three plan to go into the military, and 12 students exited the program with jobs.
“I think 10 months ago you would have seen 33 kids sleeping in and playing video games all night,” Mathis said. “They had no future, and now they do.”
Treto was one of those who slept late and played too many video games.
“This program completely altered my route in life,” he said.
Little plans to return to school to become a nurse, but her leadership training already has resulted in a manager’s position at the fast-food restaurant where she works.
“And when I’m older, I will know how to fix my house and build a playhouse for my kids,” she said.
Brown said the houses were made by first-year builders and are of high, but not absolute top, quality.
“But I guarantee anyone who looks at them will want them,” he said. “They are solid structures.
“And you build houses as solid structures, from the foundation up. That’s a metaphor for what we do.”
Parade of Playhouses
A live auction for playhouses, dog houses and a shed, and a silent auction for donated building materials, will be 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College, 200 N. Washington Blvd. Signs will direct you to the outdoor auction. Bidding begins at $800 for playhouses (which contain more than $3,000 in materials) and at $75 for dog houses.
The structures can be previewed between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Friday.
YouthBuild is actively recruiting applicants for its 2012-13 school year. For qualifications, requirements and to apply, visit www.owatc.edu/youthbuild or call 801-395-3768 or 801-395-3713.
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