BVSD students build modular homes through Boulder Mod partnership

Board members opened the Sept. 23 Boulder Valley School District Board of Education meeting with a student moment highlighting the district’s Apex Construction Trades program and its work at Boulder Mod, a new net-zero modular construction facility next to the district Education Center.

The superintendent, Dr. Heather Anderson, said the modular factory is a partnership with the City of Boulder and Flatirons Habitat for Humanity that gives students “a great opportunity to learn how to build homes while providing affordable housing in our community.” Students who worked on a brief video and then spoke to the board described completing framed modules that will be finished on site and sold as housing.

Sofia McPhee, a senior at Centaurus High School and the student lead at the facility, told the board she leads teams and helps rotate peers into leadership roles. “I was bossing everybody around. People like to take turns putting people in charge to give us the experience,” she said. Other seniors—Jim Baker (NuVista), Evan Gronquist (Boulder Universal) and Sean McCormick (Broomfield)—said the program includes OSHA safety training and nationally recognized certificates and that the factory experience differs from classroom work because students must problem-solve and meet building-code inspections.

Students described the project as two-story modular units that are roughly 80% complete when wheeled off the factory floor to be set on foundations. Dr. Anderson and board members noted a recent celebration for the first completed modular unit and said the next step is to set the duplex foundation; a timing remark said that will happen “sometime next month,” contingent on the project schedule.

Board members praised the program for hands-on learning and its link to community housing: one member noted appreciation that the students’ work will become real homes for families. Another board member asked how often students attend Apex versus their home school; students explained the program’s multi-year structure of classroom safety training followed by hands-on work, capstone projects and an industry-focused job fair scheduled at Boulder Mod in November.

The district and partners presented the facility as both an instructional site and a community housing project that provides students with career pathways, trade certifications and workplace experience. The board asked staff to continue reporting on the program’s outcomes and any industry placements resulting from the job fair.

Board President Rajpal closed the item by thanking the students for their presentation and acknowledging the district’s partnerships with the City of Boulder and Flatirons Habitat for Humanity.

Ending: The board moved from the student moment into the superintendent’s report; no formal board action was taken on the Apex program during the meeting.