A year-long program at Middleton High School, in partnership with the MABA Foundation and Encore Homes, Inc., is giving 16 juniors and seniors hands-on experience with residential construction.
Community leaders, students, educators, and residential construction professionals recently gathered at the home build, which is on Redpoll Road in Middleton. They discussed the program – known as The Foundation Build – and its impact on students as well as the workforce in Dane County.
Students began the build in September, and they will finish the home in time to be featured in the 2027 Spring Parade of Homes in June. Under the guidance of Encore Homes and industry professionals including LP Building Solutions, students are gaining firsthand experience with the different stages of construction while learning about the many careers involved in building a home.
Senior Jonathan Laschinger is participating in the program. He’s also part of the Youth Apprenticeship Program in carpentry as well as part of the racing team, which designs, fabricates, and tests open-wheel race cars.
“With the home build, it’s been really fun to get out of the classroom and do hands-on work with a whole group of good guys,” Laschinger said.
Senior David Hayes is also part of the program, after taking courses in woods, building construction and metals. He said he has enjoyed learning how to build a house.
Dane County Executive Melissa Agard praised the partnership for supporting students outside of a traditional school setting and for promoting the skilled trades.
“It’s so amazing to see how kids are now able to find their own path to match their own skills and their own dreams, and that’s what these young folks are doing,” Agard said of the students participating in the program. “We know that trades jobs like these are good-paying jobs. They are sustainable jobs that will allow people to have money in their pocket and to be able to build a future here in our community.”
Agard noted that Dane County is the fastest growing county in Wisconsin and that providing housing is among her top priorities.
Middleton Mayor Lisa Janairo agreed that housing is a critical need in Dane County.
She told the students, “You are going to be a big part of bringing the housing that we need here in Middleton.”
The program is the result of several years of collaboration between MABA and Middleton High School, which led to a three-year agreement between the MABA Foundation and Middleton High School to continue the home construction program beyond this first project.
“This is about creating a sustainable opportunity for students to learn directly from the industry,” said Chad Lawler, Executive Director of MABA. “The need for skilled labor is real, but this is also about helping students develop lifelong skills and see the wide range of high-paying, in-demand careers available in residential construction.”
Lawler thanked Middleton High School’s engineering and technology teachers for their support of the program.
“We are extremely lucky that Dave Thomas, Dan Biddick, Justin Zander and others were with us on this project and really helped push it forward to give their students this opportunity,” Lawler said.
Middleton High School Principal Bobbie Reinhart thanked MABA, Encore Homes and LP Building Solutions for bringing the idea to life. He also noted the popularity of tech ed programming at Middleton High School, where more than 40% of this year's seniors are enrolled in at least one engineering or tech ed course. These courses introduce students to careers in construction and advanced manufacturing.
“We’re proud of our tradition of excellence in career and technical education programming,” Reinhart said. “Getting these hands-on experiences can help students figure out whether this is truly a passion area for them, or they can decide that this isn’t for them and they can pursue something else.”
Reinhart also highlighted the school’s strong Youth Apprenticeship Program, which includes 71 students this semester working in more than a dozen career areas. Most of these students are working in healthcare and construction roles with the remainder in manufacturing, finance, biotech, and education.
The MABA Foundation is supporting the project by funding the cost of the build and contributing essential tools, equipment, and a jobsite trailer. Encore Homes is serving as the general contractor and working directly with students throughout the build.
The MABA Foundation’s long-term goal is to continue the partnership with Middleton High School while creating opportunities for additional schools to participate through separate annual home builds in the future.
“It’s important to us to provide students with hands-on work experience and mentorship opportunities, and our partnership with MABA helps ensure that our students are workforce-ready,” Reinhart said.
Watch a video of the home build gathering.
Photo caption: Speakers at the home build gathering included Dane County Executive Melissa Agard, Middleton Mayor Lisa Janairo, MABA Executive Director Chad Lawler, Encore Homes Vice President of Purchasing Cole Payne, LP Building Solutions Sales Manager Jerimy Neu, Middleton High School Principal Bobbie Reinhart, and seniors Jonathan Laschinger and David Hayes.