Students Embrace Spooky Season During Careers in Construction Month
Teams of two to four students were invited to construct a haunted house no more than 3 feet tall and use only materials that already existed in their lab.
The local fire department then demonstrated fire safety by supervising the burning and proper extinguishing of the burning haunted houses.
Students and individuals embraced the spooky season by participating in Halloween-themed activities designed to spark interest in the skilled trades and promote a positive perception of careers in construction.
Haunted House Build and Burn
Approximately 50 students from five schools in Boone County School District and the Ludlow School District in Kentucky celebrated the industry by building tiny, haunted houses with a unique spooky design
As a part of the challenge, teams of two to four students were invited to construct a haunted house no more than three feet tall and use only materials that already existed in their lab. The creative workshop exercised the students’ carpentry, design, communication and teamwork skills. Members of the BIA of Northern Kentucky served as judges. The local fire department then demonstrated fire safety by supervising the burning and proper extinguishing of the burning haunted houses.
Students loved working together on this project and demonstrating their skills and creativity.
Smashing Stereotypes by Smashing Pumpkins
NAHB Student Chapters challenged educators, students, and professionals in residential construction and skilled crafts to help change the misconceptions of the residential construction industry by smashing the stereotypes of construction careers.
Using the social media video platform TikTok, participants filmed the creative annihilation of pumpkins depicting some frightening stereotypes about construction careers that persist today. Squashed, hammered, and crushed were misconceptions that women do not work in construction, construction jobs are low paying, and construction jobs are not safe.
Thank you to all who participated in smashing construction career stereotypes and congratulations to the challenge winners:
- Meadowbrook Middle School (Best or original message)
- Lindy Denny (Most video likes)
- Samuel Davis (Most creative editing)
- Robinswood Middle School (Wild card)
- Orange County Public Schools Academic Center for Excellence (Bonus winner)
Follow @nahbstudents on TikTok to view the smashing videos. For ideas on how to attract the next generation of skilled trades professionals visit the workforce development resources page on nahb.org.
Latest from NAHBNow
Economics
Sep 28, 2026
Median Revenue of NAHB Remodelers Grows 24%
According to the NAHB Member Census, 21% of NAHB builder members listed residential remodeling as their primary business. These remodelers tend to be relatively small, with a median of five employees and a median annual revenue of $2.1 million.
Labor
Sep 25, 2026
NAHB Amicus Brief Argues for Fair Due Process for Workers
NAHB filed an amicus brief in the Fifth Circuit immigration case Sosnava Rodriguez v. Ortega. The case asks whether a person who entered the United States without official inspection may seek release on bond from a judge while the government considers deportation.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Sep 28, 2026
Market Share of 5,000+ Sq. Ft. Homes Edges Higher in 2025
New homes with 5,000 square feet or more of living space posted an increase in market share last year. In 2025, 27,000 homes of this size were started, accounting for 2.9% of all new homes started. Both the number and market share of homes with 5,000 square feet or more increased from 2024, according to annual data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC).
Economics
Sep 28, 2026
NAHB Remodelers: What the Data Says
Twenty-one percent of NAHB builder members listed residential remodeling as their primary business, according to the 2025 Member Census. These remodelers tend to be relatively small, with a median of five employees and a median annual revenue of $2.1 million. This means that remodelers are even smaller than NAHB builder members, who had a median of six employees and median annual revenue of $3.7 million, as reported in a recent post.
Economics
Sep 25, 2026
State and Local Government Tax Revenue Grows
Total tax revenue collected by state and local governments was up 5.8% from a year ago in the second quarter, according to the Quarterly Summary of State and Local Government Tax Revenue published by the U.S. Census Bureau. This was the highest year-over-year growth since the third quarter of 2024 (7.2%).