Every year, the Woodshop II class takes on a project that has become a tradition at Shadow Ridge: building doghouses. At first, it might seem like a simple assignment, but as Mr. Tippets explained, it’s one of the most challenging and rewarding projects his students take on.

“The goal is to teach students how to do multiple trades,” said Mr. Tippets.

Mr. Tippets adds, “There’s electrical, framing, carpentry, flooring, roofing, painting and masonry. Pretty much everything except plumbing goes into the doghouses.”

Instead of focusing on just one skill, students are expected to learn and practice several different areas of construction. In one project, they get to experience nearly all the main parts of building a structure. This approach not only challenges students but also exposes them to career paths they may not have considered before.

The doghouses are not something students complete overnight. In fact, they usually take about three quarters of the school year to finish. With each new stage, students face the challenge of learning something unfamiliar.

Mr. Tippets announced, “It’s all new to them. The biggest challenge is learning so many trades in such a short period of time.”

For many students, the experience of moving from basic skills to completing a finished project helps build both confidence and patience. Each nail hammered, each wall framed, and each coat of paint adds up to more than just a doghouse. It’s a year of growth and practice.

Once the projects are complete, students have the option to keep them. If a group decides they want to take their doghouse home, they pay a small fee through the banker, Mrs. Berge. If not, teachers and others in the school community get a chance to buy them.

Mr. Tippets confirms, “They pay the banker and show me a receipt, that’s how the process works.”

This system gives students a sense of responsibility in handling not only the building process but also the business side of things.

While the doghouses themselves are impressive, what stands out most to Mr. Tippets is the transformation he sees in his students.

“I love seeing how the kids can build,” he states. “They start with no experience, and by the end, they’ve built something real.”

The Woodshop II doghouse project might take months of hard work, but it leaves students with more than just a finished product. They walk away with skills in carpentry, roofing, electrical work, and more skills they might’ve not known before while learning: teamwork, responsibility, and perseverance. For some, it may even inspire future careers in the trades. And for every finished doghouse, there’s a proud group of students who can say they built it from the ground up.