Helping to grow our hometown talent
Independence, a residential conservation community located near Elizabeth, Colorado, recently hosted a filming project with a group of local, Elizabeth High School students. Accompanied by EHS film teacher, Mikayla Hirsch, and Internship coordinator, Leanne Cook, students were invited to spend a day learning about a variety of career opportunities in trade industries such as land development, contracting and construction management, as well as water management, storm drain management and road construction.
The field trip was funded by the Homegrown Talent Initiative grant, a program aimed at helping students in Elbert County understand the breadth of career opportunities available to them, beyond the more traditional fields they’re exposed to with typical high school curriculums. The goal of the program is to empower local students to pair their in-classroom learning with potential career paths they can pursue post-graduation.
The crew from Elizabeth High School’s EZTV came along to capture video footage throughout the day and to film question-and-answer sessions with key stakeholders. These included conversations between students and Tim Craft, founder of Craft Companies and developer of Independence, providing an in-depth look behind the scenes at what a career in development looks like and how to become a developer.
They also had the chance to speak with Richmond American Homes Project Manager, Tom Shumway, who provided the students with an overview of the construction process from the homebuilder perspective.
The day concluded with on-camera interviews featuring two Independence residents and a representative from Scott Contracting. The students also toured Independence’s state-of-the-art water reclamation and sanitation facility which contributes to the conservation efforts by purifying water for reuse and features the highest level of water recycling in the state.
The footage the student film crew captured will be edited into an educational video to share with fellow students to shed light on the many career options in the trade industry available to these young adults.
Elbert County resident, David Eddy, who helped secure the Hometown Talent Initiative grant, said they hope to utilize future funds to offer new programs for local students including internships, concurrent enrollment and certificate programs the students can use once they’ve completed high school.
Tim Craft summed the day up well by saying, “All of us at Independence enjoyed the chance to connect with local students and give them a better understanding of the many fulfilling career paths available to them post high school—specifically the trades that allowed us to bring our community to life.”