What’s happening?
Baltimore-based nonprofit Requity is teaming up with students at the Carver Vocational-Technical High School to renovate a vacant rowhouse on Presstman Street, Lillian Reed reports for the Baltimore Sun. Through this pilot program, the organization—founded by Carver alum, Sterling Hardy, and his former baseball coach, Michael Rosenband—intends to prepare students for their careers by providing hands-on experience while improving the neighborhood.
What are the details of the program?
With supervision from Carver faculty and the Baltimore City Public Schools’ career and technical education department, Carver students will earn $12.50 an hour to rehabilitate the property at 2212 Presstman Street, which Requity purchased for $4,000 from Dominion Holdings LLC in September. The program includes 25 students studying carpentry, masonry, electrical work, construction design, maintenance, and interactive media production.
Requity plans to begin construction in January, but Carver students have already started to lay the groundwork for the project, including working with builders, contractors, and architects to gather dimensions, develop renderings for the home design, participate in the demolition, and create a mockup of necessary materials. Carpentry students are currently designing practice scenarios for installing energy efficient windows, and masonry students are scheduled to begin their work with a local concrete company.
Anything else I should know?
ADT donated $100,000 and a security system to Requity’s project in November, and regional managers from the company will also mentor students throughout the renovation process.
You can read more here.
