Page 11 - TTWISpring2026

Construction Trades
Teaching Today Wisconsin | Winter/Spring 2026 Page 11

Real Needs, Real Deadlines, Real Learning

Wil Losch, Technical Education Teacher and how to work with common construction
School District of Rhinelander materials. They complete the OSHA 10 cur-
On Thursdays, the day starts early at riculum through a partnership with Nicolet
the Habitat job site next to Rhinelander High College.
School. Just before 8:00 a.m., students walk Light Construction is also where shop
across the school parking lot to a row of resi- culture begins to take shape. Students see that
dential lots owned by Northwoods Habitat a successful shop operates much like a profes-
for Humanity. Students are currently working sional job site: every tool has a place, materials
on the second of what will eventually be four are stored properly, and the space is left ready
homes built with RHS crews. for the next crew. Keeping the lab clean, orga-
By the time the students arrive, Habitat nized, and functional becomes part of the
Construction Manager Ann Sorensen has learning experience.
unlocked the trailer and tool shed. Kwik Trip The program’s new construction lab
glazers sit on a work table—an informal tra- opened in December 2025 as part of a $26
dition once a week. Sorensen and Building million renovation that will transform all tech
Trades teacher Wil Losch gather the group for ed spaces at RHS and James William Middle
a quick briefing: task assignments, reminders School. Local referendum voters sent a clear
about sequencing and safety, and some small message of support for building the techni-
talk about how a Hodag sports team is doing, cal skills of our students and preparing more
how the play rehearsals are going, or who’s tradespeople and craftspeople.
deer hunting this year. For these students, the Projects in Light Construction vary each
school day begins with real work that matters semester, but they share a common feature: Ann Sorensen (L) and Wil Losch (R) pose with a few of their students after a morning briefing on
to someone else. meeting a real-world need. Students have the 2024–25 build.
The Building Trades program at built storage sheds for district programs and
Rhinelander High School is structured as a shop equipment such as miter saw tables, preferred experience. Building one allows stu- Habitat builds. Because the course sections
three-course sequence that moves students worktables, and motor stands for the Marine dents to practice many of the same structural cover four periods each day on an eight-period
from foundational skills to full-scale resi- Powersports course. They have built dugouts components used in residential construction— schedule, students spend extended blocks of
dential construction. The entry point is Light for the baseball and softball teams, redecked framing walls, setting trusses, installing siding time on site from early September through late
Construction, a semester course typically pontoon boats, and are currently constructing and trim, and completing exterior details like May. Students learn from and work alongside
taken by sophomores and juniors. Students an ice shanty. soffit, fascia, and roofing. By the time students master plumbers, electricians, and concrete
learn safe tool use, basic framing principles, Among these projects, sheds are the finish the project, they have the skills needed to specialists as those stages are completed.
build the shell of a house. One of the most memorable moments
Just as important as the technical skills is this year came late in the fall when the crew
the mindset students develop. At the start of the worked to finish the roof before winter arrived.
Finishing T semester, Light Construction classes discuss A few times each year, the school principal
Finishing Trades Institute of the Upper Midwestrades Institute of the Upper Midwest
the values in the Sweat Pledge developed
grants permission for the class to spend a full
Apprenticeship. College. . College.
Apprenticeship by famous trades advocate Mike Rowe. The school day at the build site when the construc-
tion schedule demands it. Roofing week was
pledge emphasizes responsibility, accountabil-
A lifetime of success. ity, delayed gratification, and pride in doing one of those times. By mid-afternoon, students
A lifetime of success.
work well. The virtues of “Hungry, Humble, worked their way up the final rows of shingles,
and Smart,” described by Patrick Lencioni nail guns popping steadily in the cold, wet
EARN WHILE YOU LEARN YOUR TRADE. in The Ideal Team Player, also shape team November air. The last ridge cap went into
culture. Residential Construction students place just a day before the season’s first per-
JOIN A UNION FAMILY WHO HAS YOUR BACK.
use these ideas when evaluating their team manent snowfall.
GET ACCESS TO ON-SITE CAREER members each quarter. The program itself has deep roots in the
AND MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS. Behind the scenes, the program also community. Building trades courses at Rhine-
BUILD A DEBT-FREE CAREER. aligns with the district’s target-based grading lander date back to the 1980s under longtime
practices. The Technology Education depart- teacher Tom Davis. In a fitting full-circle
ment at RHS, working with input from local moment, Sorensen herself took the class as an
FTIUM IS A NEW MODEL FOR business owners and tradespeople, developed RHS student in the early 2000s when Davis
HIGHER EDUCATION OFFERING a shared set of learning targets used across all was building one of his final houses with stu-
FREE TRAINING IN TRADES: department courses—from automotive and dents. RHS and Habitat Collaborations date
fabrication to construction. While each course back to 2014.
Commercial Painter defines proficiency differently, the catego- For our students, the lessons extend
ries remain consistent: Safety, Measurement, beyond construction techniques, and the
Coating Application Specialist Materials, Tools, Project Management, and relevance extends beyond a course grade. Stu-
Drywall Finisher Professionalism. dents learn how to solve problems, work as
Students who enroll in Residential Con- a team, and take pride in building something
Glazier struction I and II partner with Northwoods that matters. Whether it is a shed for a school
Habitat for Humanity to build homes for local program or a home for a local family, each
Glassworker families. Losch and Sorensen have collabo- project reinforces the same idea: meaningful
Sign Technician rated on Habitat homes since 2022, and this learning often begins by meeting a real need.
spring, students will help them complete their
fourth house as Northwoods Habitat moves
towards completing its 30th house.
Learn more at FTIUM.edu Residential Construction students repre- rhinelander.k12.wi.us
sent the largest volunteer workforce on these