A crew of Ulster Board of Cooperative Educational Services (Ulster BOCES) students from Saugerties Central School District in Saugerties, N.Y., recently helped build a home for a family of five through Habitat for Humanity (Ulster Habitat), a nonprofit organization that recruits volunteers to build affordable homes for those in need.
Most of the students are enrolled in the two-year Ulster BOCES Electrical Construction & Maintenance Program. These students are using the skills they have learned in class to help build a home on Donna’s Way in Glasco, N.Y.
Students participating in the project include seniors Kaitlyn Lennon, Dylan Senor, and Jonathan Toth, and juniors Dale Wolgamuth, Ian Foster, and Ben Rappoport.
“I’m proud to be working on a project like this,” says Lennon, one of four females in the electrical program. “How cool is it that I get to help make a family’s dream of homeownership come true?”
“I’m so impressed with all of the student volunteers,” says Ulster Habitat Project Manager Peter Tirc. “They are always ready and willing to jump in and help out; they always come to work with smiles on their faces.”
The Saugerties students received special permission from Ulster BOCES Electrical Construction & Maintenance Instructor Robert Jones to travel to the work site on asynchronous learning school days to hone their electrical skills. This opportunity also gives students the chance to shadow other trade professionals at the work site, including carpenters, painters, and masons.
Saugerties Guidance Counselor and Lead Project Advisor Michael Catalano, who holds a master electrician license, says he is “proud to watch these kids in action.” Through Catalano’s guidance, the students installed a new 200A electric service, which includes installing a secondary underground residential distribution (URD) cable to a pad-mount transformer, which is placed on the ground (green enclosure). The students then installed an electric meter socket, electrical power distribution panel, grounding and bonding, mounted switch and receptacle (outlet) nail up boxes, recessed lighting, and circuit wiring to all areas of the home and equipment. Everything was done according to the National Electrical Code (NEC). In addition, the students installed cable TV and telephone access to all bedrooms and the living room. In the spring, students will do the finish wiring, which includes installing switches and receptacles, cover plates, lighting fixtures, and more. “These students are using the electrical theory and knowledge of the NEC that they have learned in class and are putting it into real practice,” Catalano explains.
Despite the lack of internship opportunities due to COVID-19, Ulster Habitat and the Saugerties Central School District wanted to help secure this internship and worked hard to consider all safety precautions. Each student is required to follow Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards, not only for workplace safety but also for COVID-19 safety as well. Ulster Habitat and the school limited the number of students working on the site to fewer than 10 people at a time, and students were also required to wear face masks, hard hats, eye protection, and more.
While the students are working inside an enclosed structure, there is no heat, so it can get pretty cold, says Catalano. Working in low temperatures not only requires proper clothes, but also calls for a good mindset.
Catalano recalls one cold afternoon when Saugerties Senior Jonathan Toth was the only student who came to the job site to help work on the electrical panel. Catalano says he pushed Toth hard that day and talked about the importance of exhibiting good workmanship. Later, the construction manager took notice of Toth’s clean work and complimented him on it, and Toth seemed to beam with pride after that.
“It feels really good to have a skill that can help others,” says Toth.
Catalano says that this Habitat for Humanity experience has been great because student volunteers are seeing that it's more than just wiring a house — it's giving back to something bigger than themselves. They are learning that giving is better than receiving, which is a life lesson that will aid them in becoming successful. It also doesn't hurt that they are getting real hands-on experience in the electrical trade. Students having access to these opportunities helps bring out the best in them and is very much needed.
Since 2019, a total of 23 students enrolled in the Ulster BOCES Electrical Construction & Maintenance Program have applied their in-class lessons to the construction of three Ulster Habitat homes on Donna’s Way. The last house is expected to be completed sometime in the spring.
