At Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, the classroom extends far beyond four walls, and this year, the region has taken notice. The College’s Home Construction Project, an annual initiative in which students from across trades collaborate to build a home from the ground up in Lancaster County, has earned widespread media attention this spring, drawing coverage that connects two important conversations: the need for affordable housing and the power of hands-on technical education.
What the Home Construction Project Is
Each academic year, second-year students from programs including Carpentry, Masonry, Plumbing, HVAC, Electrical work, Civil Engineering Construction, and Cabinetmaking spend more than eight months constructing a duplex in Lancaster County. The project emphasizes both quality and community by providing high-quality, affordable housing while giving students real-world experience they carry directly into their careers. The results speak for themselves: student-built homes have earned the prestigious Fulton Bank Award, the Parade of Homes’ best-in-show honor, four out of five previous appearances in the competition.
This year’s project holds special significance. Under the direction of carpentry instructor Dan McCord, who is overseeing his tenth home build in his tenth year at the College, students are putting the finishing touches on a townhome in Lancaster City, marking the first time the College’s Parade of Homes entry will be located within the city itself. The home will be showcased at the Lancaster Parade of Homes on in mid-June.
The Media Coverage
The story resonated across regional outlets this spring, each approaching it through a different and meaningful lens.
ABC27 was the first to visit the site and learn about the students’ efforts in light of the affordable housing needs in the state. Watch their story here.
WGAL then covered the project this year, highlighting the student-built home and the community impact it represents. Watch the WGAL coverage here.
Fox43 visited the project site to see students in action as they prepared the home for the Parade of Homes, capturing the energy and craftsmanship that defines this initiative. Watch the Fox43 site visit footage here.
Fox43’s James Tully also went deeper with the story, sitting down with Foundation Executive Director Jenny Germann and lead instructor Dan McCord on his podcast, Off the Set, for a candid conversation about the project’s history, impact, and what makes this year’s build so meaningful. Listen to the Off the Set podcast episode here.
PennLive framed the project within the broader conversation about housing access in Central Pennsylvania, a timely and important angle given that Lancaster County faces a shortage of more than 18,000 affordable housing units for lower-income households. Read the PennLive article here.
Education That Builds More Than Homes
The media attention this spring reflects something the Thaddeus Stevens College community has long understood: the Home Construction Project is about far more than the finished product. Around 150 students touch each build, gaining the kind of hands-on, real-world experience that launches careers and creates ripple effects in the communities where they live and work. Every home they build is a home where a family will make memories, and proof that a technical education can transform futures and strengthen communities at the same time.