THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 5, 1995 TAG: 9510030104
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Education
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
FROM HIS HOUSE in a well-kept neighborhood on Ballentine Boulevard, James Lloyd Sweatt Sr. has watched what he considers a minor miracle.
It's not so much that a new house will soon rise from an eyesore of a vacant lot next door.
What warms Sweatt's heart most is this: The three-bedroom, 1 1/2-bath home is being built as a community service by high school students at the Norfolk Technical Vocational Center. The new occupants will be a single mother with two children who has never owned a home.
``We just smile,'' said Sweatt, a 23-year neighborhood resident. ``What was over there did make the neighborhood look run down, and this is something we need - family houses. For young people to get out there and do that type of work is fantastic.''
School officials share Sweatt's optimistic views of the vo-tech's groundbreaking project. This house marks the first time that the center has teamed with the South Hampton Roads Habitat for Humanity, a private, non-profit group that taps community resources to build homes for low-income families.
Vo-tech Principal William Davis Jr. called it a ``win-win'' project, offering a lesson in civic responsibility and a real-life learning laboratory. Davis said students have never had such an opportunity to gain field experience during class hours.
``We hope it doesn't become a one-time thing,'' Davis said. ``We look forward to doing a project similar to this once a year from now on.''
Many of the students involved - most of them in first-year vocational classes - consider the work a rare opportunity to explore a possible career while helping others.
``I think it's good training,'' said Phillip Moore, a ninth-grader who said he has learned how to space footing piles, make concrete, lay bricks and ``take pride in my work.''
``When you go out into the real world you've already got a head start,'' he said.
Junior Lamont Pettus-Thomas said, ``It's hard work. It's not as easy as the classroom, but it's education. When you get older in life you can come by here and bring your kids and say, `I helped build this house, from the ground up.' ''
Senior Michael Webb, a second-year student in building trades, added, ``To me, it's just helping someone else, but I'm doing this for myself, too. The more you know the more money you can make. I just thank God for the opportunity to do this.''
Sylvia Hallock, executive director of the regional Habitat for Humanity group, said the 1,130-square-foot Cape Cod style home will be the 16th Habitat house built in Norfolk since 1991.
``Real world learning is something I think we need to be doing in every part of the curriculum,'' Hallock said.
Dozens of vo-tech students will be involved, teachers said. Electricity students have set up temporary power for construction and will wire the house; the heating and air-conditioning class will handle that end of the job; the horticulture class will help landscape; the building trades class has done the site work and will do the framing, plumbing and roofing; and the carpentry and cabinet class will design and build kitchen cabinets.
``The book work now will be a reinforcing tool,'' said David Trotman, teacher of carpentry and cabinetmaking. ``What we're trying to do is to have them tell us what to do next. We're trying to make them do all of the problem solving.''
The first task was to clean off underbrush that had choked a portion of the lot. Then students dug down five feet through hard clay to replace an old sewer line. Next came the foundation and the footing. Soon, the frame will be erected.
Building trades teacher Steven Draeger said students will do about 90 percent of the work. The Norfolk Skills Center, which helps train unemployed and underemployed adults, built the foundation, he said.
Draeger said private industry probably wouldn't be interested in building such a house because of the slim profit margin. He said the house should be built for about $34,000. Fund-raising to finance the project is under way, Hallock said, but many of the building supplies will be donated.
A ceremonial groundbreaking was held Wednesday by the school system and Habitat for Humanity.
The prospect of owning a home overwhelms Paulette Edwards, who now shares a rented apartment with her 17-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter.
``It's just like a dream come true,'' Edwards said. ``I always wanted to own my home, but I couldn't because of the money. My prayers have been answered.''
Sweatt, the next door neighbor, is happy, too.
``I'm looking forward to someone moving in,'' he said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by JON GLASS
Patrick Wood, a Norfolk Technical Vocational Center student, covers
a sewer line with dirt.
KEYWORDS: HABITAT FOR HUMANITY NORFOLK SCHOOLS VO TECH by CNB