Wooster School in Danbury has started a big project by creating a tiny house on their campus as a class opportunity for its students.
These 100 to 400-square foot "tiny" houses are all over TV and rising in popularity as a sustainable living option across the country.
Kim Gerardi, Wooster's Makerspace and Theater teacher, saw this project as more than just a TV trend, but a learning experience for Wooster students.
“I wanted the students to explore something they see on reality television and to look at the different sides of the tiny house movement. The layers of the learning involved -- from the building process, determining and adding the utilities, and then the interior objects. I thought it could be a rich curriculum that we could really sink our teeth into,” Gerardi said in a statement.
This project makes Wooster one of the first high schools in the country to add it to their curriculum. Students taking this class have already made great progress. There is now a framed-in tiny house that can be seen on their campus.
Different courses offer students with the ability to learn about all aspects of creating a tiny house. Classes include 3-D design, architectural studies, and an art intensive.
Students are a few months into the project and are finishing up the construction framing. The roof, doors, and windows will be done in a few weeks, according to Gerardi.
The next step for students is to figure out if it will run on electricity or solar power and how to get a source of water for the house.
What will this tiny house be used for once it's finished?
Some ideas include, "a new student center; visiting or new faculty live there for a month and write about it; an Senior Independent Study experience - either living in it on the road or in place; a spirit truck to sell Wooster Wear and concessions; a marketing ‘Wooster on Wheels’ vehicle; a food truck; or a research center on top of Tiedemann Field,” Gerardi said in a statement.
This project will be ongoing once the school year ends, and will focus on sustainable living and what goes into that. Gerardi said it's “more than just a passing fad, but rather a movement.”
