On June 12 from 5-7 p.m., students in Building Futures Cochrane will hold an exhibition of learning at 86 Rivercrest Common. The students will showcase projects inside the house they built with Kingsmith Builders. This year’s exhibition of learning has added significance as the program celebrates its 10^th anniversary.

“RVS highly values its decade-long partnership with Kingsmith Builders and the hundreds of Cochrane students who have had the opportunity to connect to future career paths and learn outside the traditional classroom,” said Superintendent of Schools, Greg Luterbach. “We are incredibly proud of the success of Building Futures’ students and excited to celebrate this milestone with Kingsmith Builders, their contractors, RVS students and staff and the community. This innovative program is one of many ways we provide students with educational experiences that matter to them and help to prepare them for the future.”

Building Futures is a full-year academic program for Grade 10 students offered in partnership with homebuilders Kingsmith Builders in Cochrane and McKee Homes in Airdrie. In addition to their learning in subjects like math, science, social studies and English, students work together to construct a house. Through this program, they engage in hands-on learning guided by tradespeople associated with residential home building.

“This is a great opportunity for students to explore construction and trades, whether they are passionate or curious about the industry,” said RVS Community Learning Centre Principal, Greg Rankin, “While completing their core curriculum, students also feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the year when they look at the home they helped build from the ground up with their peers.”

A key part of the success of Building Futures Cochrane has been the support and investment by local homebuilder Kingsmith Builders, which has championed this project since its launch.

“The Building Futures program has become a large part of Kingsmith’s identity,” said Kingsmith Builders Owner and President, Craig Wiens. “Not a day goes by when we are not working with, planning for or talking about experiences with the trades and students. We are honored to serve Cochrane’s students with this program, which gives them the ability to try their hand at so many different disciplines in the construction and design market. Over the past ten years of partnering with RVS, we have been enriched as people and a company through the time spent with the students. We will continue to run this program as long as it continues to have a positive impact on the students, their lives and their future plans.”

On June 13 from 6-8 p.m., Building Futures Airdrie will also hold an exhibition of learning at the house students constructed with McKee Homes at 3238/3242 Chinook Winds Dr. The Airdrie program celebrated its ten-year anniversary in 2023.

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