Students in carpentry class recently competed in a model home-building contest, an annual project at the Darlington County Institute of Technology. Montrel West of Darlington High School won this year’s event. Pictured are the four students chosen for recognition (from left): Shaikeem Freeman-Peterson, West, Hunter Morrison and Michael Taylor.
Montrel West, a senior at Darlington High School who attends the Darlington County Institute of Technology (DCIT), took home first place recently in DCIT’s highly competitive home-building project.
West and his other Carpentry classmates participated in the annual challenge, which requires them each to build a model home from scratch. Students are given creative freedom for finishing touches but must follow a foundational rubric for the home.
West’s home featured outstanding quality and craftsmanship, while boasting a front-yard swing and fence for good measure. Also earning recognition in the contest were Shaikeem Freeman-Peterson, Hunter Morrison and Michael Taylor.
The carpentry class at the Darlington County Institute of Technology gathers for a photo after the conclusion of this year’s model home-building contest.
DCIT Director Robbie Smith said the contest is a culmination of months of learning and hard work.
“This competition is an effective way to gauge the students’ mastery of the skills Mr. Jack Parker is teaching them in Carpentry,” Smith said. “They work together building an actual house during the year, but they know they are accountable individually for constructing the scale model. This is yet another example of the real-world skills our students learn at DCIT.”
DCIT’s Carpentry class is just one of many hands-on opportunities at the school that gives students practical work experience. The career and technology school educates hundreds of high school students from all over the Darlington County School District. For more information about DCIT, please call 843-398-4796.
