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Construction Trades
Teaching Today Wisconsin | Winter/Spring 2026 Page 5

Building Futures: The Vision House Legacy at Hartford Union High School

designed by 2025 graduate Mr. Ethan Birkel. When the house is sold, 100% of the profit is
While Mr. Birkel developed the plans during reinvested to purchase the lot for the following
his time at HUHS, his design is so impres- year’s class, ensuring this legacy continues.
sive that local builders in the Hartford area are Keep an eye out! The 2025/2026 Vision
already utilizing his plans for other new con- House will be hitting the market in just a few
structions! short months.
What makes this house special?
• Spacious Layout: A light-filled
3-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom floor plan.
• Smart Features: A two-car attached
garage and an exposed basement ready
for future finishing.
• The “Wow” Factor: A second-story deck
located directly off the kitchen, offering
a spectacular view.
Hartford Union High • The Heavy Lifting: Working side-by- This year, we also welcomed a new
School District side with local professionals to frame the partner, a local contracting company, featuring
Since the 1990s, the structure and install complex systems. a familiar face at the helm: Project Manager
Hartford Rotary Club and Hartford Union • The Finishing Touches: Executing the Mr. Mike Berger. Mr. Berger is a former
High School (HUHS) have maintained a part- landscaping and learning the nuances of HUHS student and a Vision House participant
nership with a singular goal: putting students marketing and selling a property. himself. Having a graduate return to mentor
in the driver’s seat to build a real, single-fam- Students who rise to this challenge do not the next generation provides our students with
ily home from the ground up in just one school just walk away with two school credits; they a living example of exactly where their hard
year. The result is the Vision House. leave with real-world skills that many pro- work and dedication can lead.
Building a home is about more than just fessionals don’t master until years into their A Sustainable Community Impact
wood and nails. Our students take the lead careers.
throughout the entire process, gaining hands- The Vision House is a premier example
on experience in: The 2025/2026 Vision House of a community working hand-in-hand with its www.huhs.org
youth. The Hartford Rotary Club Foundation
• Creating the Vision: Designing floor We broke ground on our latest project on manages the financing and land acquisition.
plans and selecting interior finishes. September 18, 2025. This year’s home was

What is a Boilermaker?

EXCELLENT
Abe Inghram, Apprentice Coordinator
2-4 weeks. We can
Boilermakers #107
travel across the
WAGES get is, “Don’t they play for Purdue?” Truth is country, but most
One of the more common responses we
Boilermakers stay
within the state.
that many people have never heard of a Boil-
My 2 favorite
ermaker.
things about being
& BENEFITS power plants, refineries, chemical plants, are having my
What we really do is industrial construc-
Boilermaker
a
tion across the country. We build and repair
summers off (Wis-
paper mills, steel mills, shipyards, mines,
consin summers are great) and the amount of
and a variety of other industrial facilities. To
change in my work setting. I’ll be on a job
work in these facilities, we develop skills in
for 2-4 weeks, then go to a different site that
welding, rigging, cutting, layout, fit up, blue-
print reading, planning, and many more. A
and different work. I wouldn’t last long in a
group of Boilermakers will be able to know
work setting that doesn’t change. Another
how to take a 100,000-pound component, has different co-workers, different bosses,
hook it up to a crane, safely move it into place plus is that as a journeyman Boilermaker you
with precision, make x-ray quality welds, and will always have a choice to work as much as
do it all with pride. you please. You can work a lot and travel the
The Boilermakers started their history country or only work a couple jobs a year that
by making steam locomotives. We continue are close to home. It all depends on how much
our history by making today’s latest nuclear money you want to make.
Build your future. plants, advanced naval ships, and adding vital The career has its negatives also. The
Build your future.
infrastructure to this country. places we work aren’t meant for humans.
Learn a skilled trade and become an expert Boilermakers don’t have your typical We’ll work at heights, in the cold, in the heat,
welder and rigger at the affordable price of work lifestyle. We are busy during the spring in tight spots, in dirty spots. Some jobs are a
BOILERMAKERS107.COM
through the Boilermakers and fall months, stay steady during the winter challenge (maybe not a negative).
ZERO union earn-while-you-learn months, and then work slows during the All in all, Boilermakers are skilled in
LOCAL 107 BROOKFIELD apprenticeship program. summer. This equates to about a 9-month work their trade, needed across our country, and are
WISCONSIN
proud of what they do.
year that includes a healthy salary. We travel
for work, usually being at a work site for about