By Dennis Volkert
An open house was held June 19 at 1106 Galyn St. in Sturgis, to mark the latest project involving Sturgis Neighborhood Program and St. Joseph County CTE construction trades.
Attendees included students who built the home, their families, city commissioners, local contractors and suppliers, and civic groups.
The house was built by 32 students, juniors and seniors, from Sturgis, Centreville, Colon and White Pigeon. The project duration was about 10 months, according to Kathryn Myers, executive director of Sturgis Neighborhood Program.
The home will be placed on the market. SNP is open to working with prospective families on the sale. It is a 4-bedroom, 3-bath unit.
Heading the project were Wally Wheeler, CTE construction trades teacher and Jim Berry, director of St. Joseph County CTE.
Through the program, students learn construction trades and leadership by building the house, working alongside subcontractors in various fields, including, concrete, electric, flooring, paint and plumbing.
Myers began as director at SNP in November 2023, filling the role held by longtime leader Monica Smith.
Wheeler retired in May. Sturgis Public Schools has hired Paul Draper as the trades instructor. Draper is a licensed general contractor and lifelong Sturgis resident, and begins work in the 2024-25 academic year.
Draper has 30 years of experience in the field, and had a hand in building more than 20 homes.
This is the fourth house SNP and CTE have collaborated to build since 2020.
The project also received support from the city, Sturgis Area Community Foundation and St. Joseph County United Way. Huddlestun Lumber sponsored the open house.
