BreakingGround808 Breaks New Ground by Mentoring Educators

BreakingGround 808 began in 2019 and featured a week of activities, held during spring or fall break, to give high school students an opportunity to learn about different aspects of the construction industry through classroom learning and hands-on projects. Students also met with GCA members so they could learn about careers in the industry firsthand.

In 2024, BG808 shifted its focus from teaching students to teaching the counselors and teachers who work with building & construction students in Hawaii Department of Education schools. The pilot program included six, day-long sessions.

The information provided to educators will add a real-world dimension to the curriculum taught to students. Participants in the BG808 program gained knowledge of the various career opportunities in the construction industry and the educational requirements for these roles. This will enable them to offer more personalized career guidance, helping students identify whether they are best suited for trades positions or professional roles such as project manager or project engineer.

Comprehensive Program

For the first five days, half the day was spent in a classroom setting, learning about different aspects of the construction industry, such as estimating and scheduling. GCA members from various member companies volunteered their time to teach these sessions. The second half of the day was spent in the field, building a tiny house with the assistance of GCA members. The tiny home will be donated to Kama‘oku Kauhale or other similar program on Oahu. Day 6 featured job site tours so the educators could see live construction projects in action.

Personalized Mentoring

GCA members and other construction industry professionals worked with the educators and provided them with valuable information on the construction industry, so that in turn, they can be effective teachers to prepare students for a career in the industry.

The BG808 pilot program included two to three educators from five Oahu high schools – Kaimuki, Mililani, Pearl City, Roosevelt, and Waipahu. Each school was partnered with one of five GCA member companies that participated in the program along side them and offered coaching along the way.

The mentors supported the teachers throughout the BG808 program and will remain a valuable resource and partner when they begin to teach their students. They will be available to answer questions, periodically provide guest speakers for classes, and assist in supervising or guiding teachers through building their own Tiny House projects with their classes.