The USD 443 Board of Education applauded construction students from Dodge City High School on Dec. 8 after the program earned two awards from the Associated General Contractors of America.

Chris Moore, construction instructor at Dodge City High School, told the board the awards included $2,000 in program funding. "It did come with $2,000 of award money that went to our program," Moore said, and staff discussed using the funds for safety and team-building equipment.

Students described the hands-on pathway: Ethan Holman said students begin with cabinetmaking and receive 125 hours of shop experience and safety training; Jacob Carmona referenced OSHA-10 training and the NCCER core certification; Mason Phelps described research-and-design coursework, dual-credit hours and earning NCCER certification that will transfer to institutions such as Pitt State.

Moore outlined the certificate sequence (A–D) and a partnership with Dotsie Community College that offers 12–16 hours of additional dual credit, preparing students to test for contractor licensure or to continue to supervisory roles. He noted alumni working at firms including Hutton Construction and Crossland.

The board thanked the students and staff and posed for photographs. The district also arranged on-site signage for the student construction project to increase community visibility.