"Home Girls in the House" by Linda Ocasio

(published by Shelterforce)

Women in Construction at first attracted older women but soon the project drew interest from younger women fresh out of high school, too. Michelle LeBeau admits to skepticism at first. “We were prepared for women in their late 20s to 40s, but all of a sudden the 16 to 21-year-old women were calling us wanting to join,” she says. “I worried about whether they would be committed to a long-term career. Some of the women had never held down jobs, some had dropped out of high school and some were in crisis situations. I wondered if they would be stable and show up to work every day.”

As it turned out, she was happy to be proven wrong. Once the young women rolled up their sleeves, they discovered that the experience provided them with a supportive community of women and a boost in self-confidence, too. “They love the reaction they get when people find out they’re construction workers, and they love to be part of a company that challenges society’s messages about who girls and women should be and what they can and can’t do,” says LeBeau. “These young women have taken on a strong leadership role in the company and in promoting construction as a viable career choice for other women.”

The young women were so inspired that they developed an outreach program called Home Girls. The project was first funded through a grant from the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota and the W. Glen Boyd Foundation. Home Girls makes presentations at high schools, community youth programs and youth detention centers to interest teenage girls in construction careers. Over 50 young women have responded to their outreach efforts. In the summer, a youth project brought in 16- and 17-year-old girls for eight weeks to do painting and carpentry. “It was a skill-building and mentoring opportunity,” says LeBeau.

For two of the Home Girls, the experience has changed not only the way they see themselves but also how they envision the future. Kara Schneider was working in childcare at WTHC when she heard about the Women in Construction initiative. “I actually dropped out of high school,” she says. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do.” When Michelle asked her if she wanted to learn cabinetry and make furniture, Schneider jumped at the chance. Her father is a carpenter, plus she is good at math. “I was able to use my math skills,” she says. And she learned how houses are built, what’s between the walls. Now 20, she’s a cabinetmaker in training. “In five years I hope to be running the cabinetry shop…, and training other women,” Schneider says.

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