High Schoolers Help Build New Tech Center in South Austin

Austin ISD officials broke ground on a unique construction site on the Crockett High School campus Tuesday.

High school students will join the construction workforce in completing the new technology building on Crockett’s campus. The district said the building exterior will be completed by construction professionals, but students will work with other construction workers on the building’s interior.

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The project is a part of the Architecture/Construction program at Crockett, which is part of a district-wide program called Career and Technical Education. The program provides unique opportunities for students to acquire 21st century academic and technical skills needed for entry into the global workforce or postsecondary education.

“The program [Career and Technical Education] started a few years ago to give kids skills for working in the real world,” Crockett principal Craig Shapiro told Patch. The program got so big, that we had to expand to another building, which is what the students will be helping to build. As students are learning math and science - such as algebra, trigonometry, and biology - they can apply what they’re learning in the classroom to real world projects.”    

District officials said the $2 million building is expected to be complete by April 2016.