BLOOMINGTON — Students at the Monroe County Community School Corporation's Hoosier Hills Career Center are building their futures, both literally and figuratively.
More than a dozen students interested in construction careers are spending the semester learning on the job. They are working together to build a barn and gain valuable real-world experience.
"It's nice that I get to spend the first two hours of my morning doing stuff and being outside," said Karl Bailey, a junior at Bloomington South High School.
"If I were to do this in a classroom, I would get tired," added Alex Wisley, a senior at Bloomington Academy. "This wakes me up. I'd rather be doing this."
Aside from the excavation, students have built every piece of the north Bloomington barn.
"We started from digging holes and now it's almost a full barn," Bailey said. "There's a little bit more to go but it's nice seeing progress."
"I'm glad they trust us," Wisley added. "They teach us first to make sure we do it right and I enjoy using those tools."
Hoosier Hills Career Center director Christi Wrightsman believes the experience will benefit the students in both the short and long-term.
"These students are coming out of Hoosier Hills with multiple certifications," Wrightsman said. "Last year alone, we had at least 200 certifications, so they're directly impacting the workforce."
