Dual-Credit Carpentry Students Learn While Helping Seniors
Dual-credit students at Robert F. Kennedy Charter School are learning about more than hammers and nails in their CNM construction class. In cooperation with the City of Albuquerque Department of Senior Affairs, they are building their carpentry skills while also building wheelchair ramps for senior citizens.
CNM instructor Dave Reisinger and his class of approximately a dozen students are building a ramp just about every week this semester. Materials are provided by the city, and the class turns the raw materials into safe, sturdy and attractive structures. Every job is different, so the projects teach a combination of careful planning and adapting to conditions on the worksite.
Students take turns using power saws, sanders, drills and screwdrivers along with measuring tapes, paint brushes and all the other tools of the trade. Later this term, Reisinger expects the class to move on to building homes for Habitat for Humanity, another combination of learning opportunity and public service.
Through CNM's Dual Credit Program, high school students take CNM courses that count for both high school and college credit, saving time and money on a college degree. Many Dual Credit courses at CNM, such as carpentry courses, are tuition-free.
According to the Albuquerque Public Schools website, Robert F. Kennedy is a charter high school focused on providing a “supportive learning environment aligned to individual student needs for at-risk students.” A number of these students are on track to graduate from high school with a Carpentry certificate from CNM in hand. These students provide another clear glimpse into CNM’s Vision of “Changing Lives, Building Community.”
