Tiny Houses with Grand Plans By Melody Groves
Proud of their achievements, Hiroshi Miyamura High School students and staff share experiences of their Tiny House project during the Gallup-McKinley County Day in the Santa Fe Roundhouse Rotunda on January 30, 2020. All photos by Myke Groves unless otherwise stated.
“We want to solve problems with our Pathways program,” says Hiroshi Miyamura High School Principal Jack McFarland. “It takes a community to make this happen.”
Pathways to Success
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wo rows of high school students with construction hard hats perched on their heads and wearing T-shirts that read “I’m a Tiny House Builder in Training,” wait patiently at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe, ready to present a session about their project. In conjunction with Gallup-McKinley County Day on January 30, about 20 students made the trek to the capital. Tiny Houses. Constructed by Gallup’s Hiroshi Miyamura High School students, these 8’x30’ houses are small compared to regular housing standards. Students install electrics, plumbing, a full kitchen and bathroom, plus a metal roof. The eco-friendly house comes with two large windows. Senior Joshua Salazar, foreman for this project, admits the bathroom is a bit small for him at 6’4.” But, he quickly adds, the tiny house meets road transpor-
18 April 2020 • enchantment.coop
tation standards, making it portable. And teenagers did it all. Next year, they’re hoping to build two. “We’re still at the infancy stage of this program,” says McFarland, “but we’re teaming up with colleges and tying into their programs, especially business.”
Gallup-McKinley County Schools This Tiny Houses Project was kicked off in 2019 with many students participating. This year, it’s juniors and seniors, but lower classmen will be on board soon. According to McFarland, they plan to auction off the fully-furnished tiny home, with a $12,000 beginning bid. Proceeds will go toward two more tiny houses to be built next year. One will be donated to a Veterans’ organization for homeless vets, the other sold to help fund more tiny houses. The best part, he says, all these efforts stay in the community.
