Kenton County middle schoolers build benches and beds as trades program expands

Woodland Middle School eighth-graders are learning hands-on construction skills this year, building park benches that will be installed on Kenton County Conservancy properties and constructing beds to donate through Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a Cincinnati-area nonprofit.

The program, now offered across all four Kenton County School District middle schools, was brought to the district by Trades NKY, a coalition of local trades companies that mentors students and highlights job opportunities in the skilled trades. A presenter for the program said the benches will be placed on two conservancy properties in southern Kenton County so students can visit and see their work in the field.

"The kids are building park benches that are gonna go to the Kenton County Conservancy in the Kenton Conservation District," the presenter said, describing the projects as both educational and community-minded. The presenter said the program pairs students with companies that can cut materials and provide hands-on mentoring.

Program advocates framed the initiative as both a skills-builder and a pipeline to local jobs. A representative who spoke about employer outreach said local firms hope to recruit program graduates and described showing students demolition and construction work to spark interest in the trades. "For every five guys that are retiring, there's only two people that are interested in getting into the trade," the business representative said, urging more hands-on training for younger students.

Students described practical gains from the class. "Some of the skills I've learned: teamwork, creativity, precision, and safety," said a Woodland Middle School student, noting that peers learned to use powered tools and to collaborate on projects.

In a separate community-service strand, the program partners with Sleep in Heavenly Peace so students also build beds that will be donated to local children and families in need. The presenter said the bed project has run at two other partner schools and that completed beds could go to neighbors or others in the community who need them.

Teachers and program supporters emphasized that the trades curriculum offers alternative pathways for students who may not follow a traditional college route, providing vocational skills that can lead to well-paying jobs, apprenticeships or business ownership.

For families interested in enrolling, the narrator said students should contact their school counselor for more information or to sign up.