THIS YEAR SHANE HOMES added another $15,000 to the Griffin fund, which, among other purposes, supplies money to students who would not otherwise be able to afford the fees for extracurricular school activities. Ernest Manning principal, Dr. Matt Christison, said the monetary support has gone a long way to support student life at the school.

“Shane Homes is a major supporter of the school,” Christison says “Their support will have a major positive effect on 40 to 100 students every year and a significant effect on the rest of the student population.”

Shane Homes has been contributing money to the Griffin fund for nine years.

“We were working on partnerships at that time and Shane Homes was there right away and on board,” Christison says.

Students can access up to $200 from the Griffin fund to play sports like basketball or football or join special classes like Outdoor Leadership, which can cost up to $400.

Scholarships are also made available to students who might otherwise be overlooked.

“Shane Wenzel and his mother, Edith Wenzel, have put a lot of emphasis on supporting the average student, not someone getting a lot of scholarship money,” Christison says. “So it is not for someone with marks in the 90s. It is for someone who is hardworking and does well. Their focus has been on students involved in the school – a well rounded individual.”

In addition, Shane Homes has partnered with the drafting department and other technical departments to create real-world projects and get students involved in on-the-job training.

Shane Wenzel, senior vice president of sales and marketing said working with the school has brought the memories of adolescence flooding back.
“I have a real understanding of what it is like to be a teenager again,” Wenzel said. “It is a tough decision – deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life and how you are going to do it.”

As the son of Shane Homes founder Cal Wenzel the decision to join the family business was a no-brainer.

“I had a pretty easy decision to make because the company had been named after me. Growing up I knew I wanted to be in the family business,” Wenzel says. “The kids I have met have such a different outlook on life. It’s positive and it is negative. They will query you. It’s not just about dollar and cents. They want to know how fun it is and what they will do all day.”

Over the past ten years Shane Homes has assisted Ernest Manning students interested in working in the home building industry through annual projects. Wenzel hopes that the experience will help clarify the future for the students involved.

“The nice thing about this partnership is it can help them with that decision whether it is with the homebuilding industry or not,” Wenzel says.

From the drafting, building and decorating of the homes, Shane Homes has worked with Ernest Manning students to give them hands on experience. Over the past nine years drafting students have designed six homes that were built in Calgary neighbourhoods. The process started with each student submitting a design, with Shane Homes selecting the one to be built.

The handpicked designs have been built in Cougar Ridge, Signal Hill and Royal Oak.

Drafting teacher Les Kiffiak says the experience has enhanced the student’s education.

“I can judge things, but it means a lot more if it is done by someone external,” Kiffiak says.

Students were involved in every facet of the construction starting from the floor plans to the finishing touches.

This summer four students worked in the Shane Homes Expressions Design Centre learning the ropes of being an interior designer. Others have worked on site and with sub trades at Shane Home sites.

This year students will design a playhouse with guidance from Shane Homes staff.

Shane Homes will set the criteria for the playhouse, which will have a fairytale theme.

It is this kind of participation that brings home what life will be like after school, Kiffiak said.

“It creates a much stronger connection with what they are learning in school and what happens in the real world,” he said.

Drafting student Rebecca Bruce said there is a lot of excitement from students about working with Shane Homes.

She said after three years of drafting classes at Ernest Manning she feels ready to possibly explore it as a career, but like many others is still unsure of what she will do after high school graduation.

“You definitely have a greater knowledge of what is needed and are ready to take the next step,” Bruce said. “But there are so many choices right now. Drafting is definitely an option.” NL