Students enrolled in the Northeast Metro 916 Career and Technical Center were able to get hands-on experience in the homebuilding process by completing the program’s 28th student-built home in North St. Paul this year.

Each year, students build a single-family home thanks to a partnership with the city of North St. Paul that provides resources for the home build. Northeast Metro 916 Career and Technical Center students work in collaboration with instructor Tom Spehn and alongside subcontractors to construct most aspects of the home. St. Paul College cabinetmaking students build and install the cabinets, and Century College interior design students are responsible for many aspects of the cabinet design, color palette, flooring and hardware.

According to the Northeast Metro 916 Career and Technical Center, the program is the only one in the state where students get real-world experience constructing a fullsized house on site. The students spend only 10% of their time in a traditional classroom.

The construction of the home took place from mid-September 2021 until mid-July. The home was listed for sale in July.