The Weitz Construction Academy at Seminole Ridge High School
The Weitz Construction Academy at Seminole Ridge High School is a certified, National Career Academy Coalition program designed for students seeking a career in the construction industry upon graduation and for students desiring to obtain a post-secondary degree in construction-related fields. The students receive construction skills training, OSHA construction safety training, job-site work experience, and they plan, develop, and produce real-world construction projects.
The Academy has approximately 150 students, freshman to seniors, and works in close partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County to build a modular house on campus, with a goal to deliver 1 home per year. Habitat provides the building lot, foundation, and all of the construction materials.
The students complete house modules up through finished interiors, including electrical, plumbing, insulation, and finished drywall. Windows and doors are installed and the exterior walls clad with a building wrap membrane to make them dry for transporting. The Academy also builds the roof with trusses, and all components are delivered to the jobsite where Habitat’s staff and volunteers will take over to finish the project.
Once the house is complete and certificate of occupancy is issued, a Habitat partner family purchases the home with an affordable 30 year, interest-free mortgage issued by Habitat.
We extend our gratitude to the generous funders who made this program possible.
The School District of Palm Beach County
Weitz Construction
Town of Palm Beach United Way
The Mary Alice Fortin Foundation
Fredrick Lehrer
The Walter & Adi Blum Foundation
The Hamilton Family Foundation
The William & Helen Thomas Charitable Trust
State Farm Insurance
PARTNERS & SPONSORS
Todd Williams
Tammy Licavoli
Robert Hatcher
David Porter AIA
Simpson Strong Tie
Certainteed Corp.
Daniel Barns, General Plumbing and Air Conditioning
Mark Freshwater, Freshwater Electric
James Hardie Corp.
Applegate Interiors
Weitz Construction Company
Priority Towing
Eagle Metal Products, INC (Lester Hensley)
DC Crane & Rigging
Dixie Blueprint
Bruce Tschosik
University of South Florida OSHA Training Institute and Education Center
Manuel Moya
Construction Association of South Florida
BOAF
Moore’s ACE Hardware
Winn Dixie Supermarkets