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Sioux Empire HBA Launches ‘Tools for Schools’
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West Central High School in Hartford, S.D. has a new table saw courtesty of the Sioux Empire HBA's "Tools for Schools" program. |
The Home Builders Association of the Sioux Empire in South Dakota recently launched its “Tools for Schools” program to help save the industrial arts programs at area high schools. The program provides needed tools and equipment and helps teach students about residential construction.
“Tools for Schools,” begun at the start of the school year, provided state-of-the-art tables saws and blades to West Central High School in Hartford and Tea High School in Tea, S.D. near Sioux Falls.
The program is funded in part through a $3,000 matching grant from the National Housing Endowment Challenge/Build/Grow Matching Grant Initiative. The HBA provided funds through its newly-formed Home Builders Care Foundation.
“Through our foundation, we are helping schools acquire the necessary tools and equipment to teach students about the construction industry,” said Randy Bruner, the HBA’s president. “With support from the National Housing Endowment and this new foundation, we are able to provide a source of inspiration for students and are delivering a positive message about our industry.”
“Building homes for the Sioux Empire is too important of a priority to neglect the education and training that will be needed to support the residential construction industry,” said Matt Swenson, chairman of the HBA’s education committee. “Through the ‘Tools for Schools’ program, as well as other community service efforts, the foundation is answering the call by meeting the industry's long-term challenges with bold thinking and action.”
The endowment, the philanthropic arm of NAHB, created the Challenge/Build/Grow Grant Initiative to support HBA initiatives including education, land use and labor shortage/worker training and to help build and grow new partnerships at the state and local levels. The endowment has awarded more than $120,000 to state and local associations since the Challenge/Build/Grow program was started in 2001.
For more information about grant opportunities, or to download funding guidelines, visit www.nationalhousingendowment.org.
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The new table saw at Tea High School in Tea, S.D. |
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