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Home Building Program Popular as New School Year Opens

Using the familiar concept of home building to teach math, science, civics, technology and personal financial responsibility, the interactive program has reached more than 2.2 million students, teachers and parents nationwide since it was launched two years ago.

“Educators tell us that Building Homes of Our Own is exciting for their students, introducing them to diverse industry professions and the concept of homeownership, and forcing them to sharpen their critical thinking skills in key subject areas,” said NAHB President Bobby Rayburn.

The program challenges students to work within a budget and schedule the design and construction of a home — from the site selection to its sale to a qualified buyer — relying on lessons they have learned in school to solve problems and reach decisions.

The game features three levels of play on building sites in urban, suburban, riparian or lakeside, and coastal settings. Students can elect to perform lab testing, conduct research and call upon special consultants to deal with zoning, environmental, community and other obstacles that test their skill, patience and resourcefulness.

The program, including a comprehensive lesson plan guide, is available on CD-ROM and is compatible with the Microsoft Windows operating system. It is free to classroom educators and members of home builders associations; click here.

Building Homes of Our Own is part of NAHB’s ongoing education outreach effort and was created with support from the National Housing Endowment and Freddie Mac.

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