Rookie Team Takes First Place at NAHB Student Competition

The NAHB Student Competition is one of the annual highlights of International Builders’ Show (IBS), with teams of NAHB student chapters competing against each other in front of a judging panel of industry executives. Last fall, a new high school student chapter in Frederick County, Va., dubbed “Team Frederick,” entered the student competition, joining several other teams across the country vying for the program’s prestigious recognition.

The Student Competition was established to offer students real-life residential construction experience. Teams demonstrate their problem-solving skills by preparing a construction management proposal, which includes the development of working drawings, a labor and materials estimate, and a construction schedule. The competition also requires the teams to present and defend their proposals to the panel of judges.

Under the guidance of Rob Mullins, Building Trades Instructor at Dowell J. Howard Center, Team Frederick worked diligently to prepare and submit their written proposal. They perfected their oral presentation and delivered it at the IBS held in January in Las Vegas.

During the competition’s awards ceremony, Team Frederick heard their name called to stage to accept the honorable “Rookie Team of the Year” award. To their astonishment, the team was called to the stage once more to accept the NAHB Student Competition’s First Place traveling trophy for Secondary Programs in Construction Management.

“Team Frederick’s double award win is a perfect example of what is possible when a school system, local and national industry leaders, parents, and students join forces and resources,” said Mullins. Team Frederick said that participating in the competition helped them improve their presentation skills and appreciate the value of teamwork. When asked about post-graduation plans, Lukas, a senior, said he has two ideas in mind: “One is carpentry. I’m not sure which kind, I just enjoy doing hands-on work. And the second thing is going to school to learn and become a lineman.”

Visit nahb.org to learn more about the NAHB Student Competition.