All-girl construction class builds pride, plumbing skills

Over the past few weeks, 20 girls at Abraxas High School in Poway cut and assembled pipe for a hydroponic garden — the first project they’re undertaking in a new all-girls construction class offered at the continuation high school.

The course covers plumbing, carpentry, assembly, measurement and tools usage, and provides an introduction to construction careers as well as practical skills they may need as homeowners in the future.

Just as important as those hands-on techniques, is the sense of accomplishment and independence they gain from tackling problems on their own.

“When you think of construction, you automatically think it’s a guy thing,” said junior Alana Johnson, 17. “In this class, there’s a lot of teamwork. And I can use saws and hammers and I don’t need a guy to use that. It will benefit me in the future to have (these skills.)”

The class came together after teachers and Principal David MacLeod noted that girls seemed to shy away from the general construction class offered at the campus. It wasn’t lack of interest, they found; girls sometimes felt out of place in the course, or were uncomfortable with horseplay they encountered among the boys.

When school officials asked if girls would like a construction class of their own, “they were overwhelmingly interested,” McLeod said.

Most students at the school are “kinesthetic learners,” he said, meaning they generally learn better by participating in physical activities than by listening to lectures. So the class gives them a chance to get out of their seats and create something tangible, while absorbing information about engineering, business and safety.

“Boys have more of an opportunity to be in construction,” said Junior Vivian Ramirez, 17. “And I’m like, ‘what about us?’” I’m a learner like that. I’m a hands-on girl.”

For their first project, the girls cut and assembled pipe to filter a hydroponic system in the school garden, where a pond of tilapia will furnish fertilizer for three longer channels of lettuce.

“We learned how to use a measuring tape and hacksaw,” said senior Valeria Luque, 18.

They also moved the fish from an overground tank to the in-ground one, and cleaned and prepped the site. Next they will assemble a greenhouse for the garden, bolting together the structure, securing it in the foundation and installing windows, MacLeod said.

Finally they’ll learn carpentry, building wooden succulent boxes that they can take home, said history teacher Lisa Flanagan, who runs the class with career/technical instructor Barrett Becker, who is also a licensed contractor.

The experience introduces girls to potential careers in construction work and management MacLeod said, noting that students can enter paid apprenticeships right after high school, and progress to lucrative permanent positions. One of their class activities is a field trip to tour the trade organization Associated General Contractors, where they’ll learn about professional opportunities.

Beyond that, the course offers a primer on household repair and maintenance.

“It’s to give girls an idea of careers they might not have thought of,” he said. “Or they can do their own work on their home and electricity.”

Ramirez said that’s right in line with her aspiration to buy a plot of land and build from scratch.

“That’s been my goal,” she said. “I drew my own house. So for later, when I build my own house, I’ll use these skills.”

Junior Angelica Bungcayo said she hopes to go into nursing, but appreciates the chance to become more self-sufficient as an adult.

“Something that interests me in the class is that it would help us in the future to work on our own,” she said. “So we won’t need to count on guys to do it for us.”

For some students who attend the school because of instability in their home lives, the class also acts to relieve stress and anxiety, Flanagan said.

“They’re using their hands and being outside,” she said. “It brings a sense of happiness. They come alive. We see a really big difference, in how our garden has changed our school environment.”

deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennan