At Arnold High School, students aren’t just learning how buildings are constructed; they’re discovering how to build successful futures of their own.
Through the school’s Construction Academy, students are gaining hands-on experience, earning industry certifications and exploring rewarding careers in the skilled trades, often before they’ve even graduated from high school.
And behind those opportunities is a powerful partnership between Bay District Schools and Bay County’s construction industry.
The Bay Building Industries Association (BBIA) helped establish the district’s first Construction Academy at Rutherford High School in 2016. The program expanded to Arnold during the 2017–2018 school year, creating additional opportunities for students to explore careers in an industry essential to our growing community.
Since then, Arnold’s academy has continued to evolve, offering students experiences that go well beyond traditional classroom instruction.
In 2020, the school received two excavator simulators, allowing students to practice operating heavy equipment in a realistic, controlled environment. The technology helps students develop valuable skills before ever stepping onto a construction site.
But sometimes, there’s simply no substitute for the real thing.
Thanks to partnerships with local businesses like Roberts and Roberts Construction, students have had opportunities to operate actual construction equipment under professional supervision. During one memorable field experience, students who had completed their required certifications traded their classroom simulators for the real machinery used on construction sites throughout Bay County.
And the students aren’t just learning to operate equipment. They’re building things too.
In 2023, Construction Academy students tackled an ambitious project: constructing a one-bedroom, one-bathroom tiny house. Their classmates in Arnold’s drone program even documented the building process from above, bringing two career and technical education programs together for one impressive project.
These experiences represent something much bigger than learning to swing a hammer or operate an excavator. They introduce students to careers they may never have considered, build confidence through hands-on opportunities, and demonstrate that a successful future doesn’t always require a four-year college degree.
For local businesses, the partnership is equally valuable. As Bay County continues to grow, investing in the next generation of skilled workers helps strengthen the community’s future workforce.
At Bay District Schools, preparing students for success means helping them discover the pathway that’s right for them, whether that’s college, technical training, military service or entering the workforce. And at Arnold High School, those pathways are being built one project, one partnership and one student at a time.
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