There aren’t many classes that can provide an on-site experience in order to teach students about its key concepts. The Practical Architecture Construc- tion (PAC) class definitely delivers. This course teaches what goes into building a common family residence and shows students how to work with different car- pentry tools.
One thing that makes this class dif- ferent is that it an on-site experience for the students. The course takes students to a building site and shows them how to build housing at a building site within the District. If a student aspires to be- come an architect or engineer, this class could give them a taste of what it’s like.
The class was first started in 1971 as a classroom-based program. Later, in 1985, the class introduced the first on- site experience. The primary goal of the class is to accommodate students who have an interest in building. Every year students are given a project so that they can become familiar with the process of construction.
The class can help students that want to investigate careers that involve build- ing trades, architecture, construction management or design work. It can also prepare students for entry-level carpen- try positions. In addition, students can work toward apprenticeship programs that are connected to the Department of Labor.
“I want to go to school for architec- ture so I think I need the basics and I thought this would help me out,” junior Tom Ott said. The class also combines different elements of other classes into the lessons, such as math.
“You get really familiar with things like math, which is really complex in architecture,” Ott said. “You can also get some common skills, and you un- derstand the structure of a house a lot more.”
It can benefit students in other ways such as improving their competence in math or being able to have handy man skills.
“As long as you follow along, it’s pret- ty easy and very interesting,” Ott said. “It’s beneficial in the end I think.”
Career and Technical Education teacher Patrick Fonsino has both taken and taught the class and can see first hand how beneficial it is.
“It’s more or less a trades and con- struction internship for the students,” Fonsino said. “They’re either working alongside the professional tradesmen like a plumber or electrician, or they’re doing the work themselves.”
While a student taking the course, Fonsino thought the class was influen- tial on him.
“I think it’s a good class,” Fonsino said. “It was different, which I think is good for a lot of students, to get out of the classroom and traditional setting.”
The class is offered to juniors and seniors only. One benefit to this course is that it is part of the District 214 pro- gram that offers dual credit. Another im- portant aspect of taking this class is that all students have the opportunity to fill out a submission application to Harper College if the student passes the class in the first year taking it. Once the student completes their second year and the ap- plication, the student can receive credit for Harper College.
“It helped shape my career,” Fonsino said.