AVHS Construction Pathway Awarded $10,000 Grant from the Home Depot Foundation
Victor Valley News Group
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10:12 am | Oct. 25, 2026 | Updated 10:12 am | Oct. 25, 2026
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APPLE VALLEY, Calif. (VVNG.com) – Apple Valley High School’s Construction Pathway has been awarded a $10,000 Path to Pro Education Grant from The Home Depot Foundation, supporting the school’s efforts to prepare students for careers in the skilled trades.
The grant is being used to purchase additional construction materials, tools, and resources to expand student building projects, allowing more students to gain hands-on experience in residential construction, framing, roofing, and other industry-related skills.
The Construction Pathway serves approximately 150 students annually and includes a California-registered pre-apprenticeship program in partnership with the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters and the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools through IE Connect.
Building on a Growing Program
Now in its third year, Apple Valley High School’s registered Construction Pre-Apprenticeship program continues to grow and demonstrate measurable success. During the 2025–2026 school year, 15 students successfully completed the required competencies, showcasing continued progress in preparing students for skilled trades careers.
Previous K12 Strong Workforce Program funding helped launch hands-on construction projects known as “cubes,” where students construct scaled structures that simulate real-world residential building practices. These projects incorporate multiple construction competencies and utilize inspection cards modeled after industry practices.
The $10,000 grant from The Home Depot Foundation expands on this success by increasing the size, complexity, and number of student construction projects. These funds provide additional materials and resources, enabling more students to gain hands-on experience, develop technical skills, and demonstrate industry competencies as they prepare for skilled trades careers.
“In construction, students learn by doing. This grant allows us to expand our hands-on projects, giving more students the opportunity to work with real materials, build confidence, and develop the industry skills needed to successfully complete our registered pre-apprenticeship program and prepare for careers in the skilled trades,” said Josh Rees, Construction Pathway Teacher at Apple Valley High School.
Beyond the classroom, Construction Pathway students regularly participate in regional construction competitions, applying their technical knowledge, teamwork, and problem-solving skills under real-world conditions.
At the end of the 2025–2026 school year, Construction Pathway students earned first- and third-place finishes at the Mountain Desert Career Pathways (MDCP) and Victor Valley College (VVC) One-Day Build Competition, competing against other area high schools. They also received the People’s Choice Award and Safety Award at the Construction Industry Education Foundation event.