On Tuesday, March 4, Certa got a call to bring four of his seniors down to New Orleans, Louisiana, to assist the show in building a house and church previously destroyed by Hurricane Katrina during their season finale.  From March 6 through the 14 the CHS Construction Program and Learn & Serve students - Kyle Jones, Cliff Jones, Nathan Tripplehorn, and Corey Gotshall - assisted with framing, installing doors, sheeting, wrapping, and landscaping.

Certa says the students were initially only assigned to framing but thanks to their skill levels they were quickly depended upon for a variety of tasks.

"Volunteers were divided into skilled and unskilled.  The young men are in their fourth year of Charlevoix High School's Construction Program so they easily qualified to wear the "skilled" badges giving them access to all project sites.  Throughout these four years they've definitely gained the knowledge and skills"

Now it was just a matter of putting those skills to work - and they certainly did.  Throughout the week the group of young men became widely known amongst all the show's volunteers.  In fact, Certa says by the end of the week they were receiving offers of internships and jobs with large building companies from North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. 

Despite the work experiences and networking opportunities, Certa believes this trip also summed up the value of service-learning.

"[Service-learning] stretches their boundaries outside of school walls and allows students to recognize the need for education and how useful it is in the real world.  Focusing on the needs of others is an eye-opening experience for many young people and transforms them into more thoughtful and compassionate beings."

Learn & Serve funds assisted with transportation and housing costs for the CHS students and Certa.