More than a house: Northeast students build a home

Lincoln Northeast High School industrial technology instructor Bob Freese has been helping students build houses for families in northeast Lincoln for over 27 years - the last 24 with the Lincoln Housing Authority.

Freese, along with his students and community members, celebrated the completion of the latest house during a celebration event in May.

“They (students) came out and did an incredible amount of work on this house. It wasn’t always easy, it wasn’t always great weather out here, but they got the job done,” Freese told the crowd.

The students in the residential construction course were involved in every step of building the home - from laying the foundation, to raising the frame and putting on the finishing touches. But Freese also talked about the lessons students learned not just in construction, but the opportunities to experience more in the world and community around them.

“We had some great experiences out here. I remember some of them were here when the eclipse took place. They laid down over there in the field, propped their heads up on their hats and watched the total solar eclipse,” Freese said, adding: “One of our students is a wildlife specialist and he looked up and pointed in the sky and said, ‘That’s a bald eagle over there.’ Sure enough, it was.”

Northeast senior John Chrejka said the class helped him develop a good work ethic among other skills. “It also helps you learn skills that you will need for common day-to-day life when you move out of your parents’ house. You can fix up your house because you helped build one.”

Freese ended by saying he hoped each time the students drove by the house, they will feel pride in what they built.

“We built 24 of these with the Housing Authority. Every one of these I go by, it makes me feel pretty good. The kids learned a lot. There is a family living in that, making a home out of that. It makes the community just a little bit nicer. I think we put in a nice house.”

 

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