CLINTON, Tennessee — Students in the Anderson County Career and Technical Center construction class work on many different community-based projects throughout the year.
"Honestly, we rely on the people in the community; they come and whatever they need, they call us and say, 'Hey, can you build us this?' And we take those projects in," Phil Pyke, the construction teacher at Anderson County CTC, said.
So, when they were asked to make planter boxes for historic downtown Clinton, they were all for it.
"We wanted to have something attractive in the downtown area during construction that would help us let people navigate being downtown while they're here and keeping them safe," Katherine Birkbeck, Executive Director for Historic Downtown Clinton, said. "It's really extra special that the kids are helping us do that."
The boxes have wheels on the bottom so they can be moved around for various events or needs. They'll also be able to spruce up the area while construction continues.
The teachers said projects like this teach students job-ready skills while they're still in school. And for some students, seeing their work out in the community brings a sense of pride.
"It actually feels really good especially when you live around here, and you know you get to build things for the community," Hayden Gray, a senior at Anderson County CTC, said. "And as you drive around, you get to see things that you built, especially if you're with friends or family, you're like 'Hey, I built that!' or 'Hey, I worked on that!' It's just really cool."
The classes allow students to get OSHA and CAT certified before they graduate, which gives them a leg up when they enter the job field.
"They help us improve our skills for when we get out in the real world," Nolan Truong, a sophomore at Anderson County CTC, said.
The teachers said not only do these classes teach kids how to build, it teaches them time management, being a good employee and showing up for the job.
The class is always looking for new projects to work on. If you have a project in mind for the class, you can reach out to the school here.
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