Student praises Viking House hands-on construction program

A student told Forest Grove SD 15 officials that the Viking House career-technical program gave her intensive, hands-on construction experience and helped steer her toward civil engineering and architecture.

"Viking House, 50 years of building and selling homes in the community. I'm with this program because I just really love engineering, and I find that civil engineering to be something I would love to pursue in the future," the student said, adding that the program is "100% hands on experience every every other day, 3 hours a day with a wonderful crew of 16 to 18 people."

The student described specific tasks she enjoys, saying, "My favorite thing to do in this house is either blue skin or flooring. Blue skin being the part of the house before we put siding on. It's the tape that goes all around the house to protect it from harsh weather. With flooring hammering and nailing every single board into the floor and lining them up and it's just piece by piece creating this massive puzzle that turns into the beautiful polished hardwood floor that then goes on the market for the house."

She said the program uses higher-grade materials on exteriors and special insulation, and that the high school students built the cabinets for the house. "Our teachers hold us to a very high standard so that anything less than perfect is not allowed to be built into the house," she said, calling the environment "motivational and encouraging."

The student said she was initially nervous working on a construction site but that being part of a team of about 15–16 peers became routine: "It was just another day at the construction site for me just with 15, 16 other guys around."