Students from Nicolas Jr. High’s Construction Academy helped unveil the Fullerton School District’s third Tiny Home Project on May 22, marking a years-long effort to support families experiencing homelessness while preparing students for careers in the skilled trades.
Built by students under the guidance of woodshop teacher Mucio Vidales, the 192-square-foot Tiny Home will support a family in the Fullerton community with temporary housing. Community donors, educators, school board trustees and district leaders — including Interim Superintendent Dr. Chad Hammitt — gathered to celebrate the project’s completion.
The newest addition to the project features two beds, a bathroom, kitchenette and living space. During the unveiling, students wearing yellow vests and hard hats demonstrated the skills they developed in painting, flooring, plumbing, framing and electrical work.
Launched in 2022, the Tiny Home Project serves as a hands-on career technical education initiative led by Vidales and supported by Pablo Díaz, the district’s director of innovation and instructional support. The Construction Academy gives students early exposure to jobs in construction and skilled trades while addressing the needs of the community.
After helping build the home, Nicolas eighth-grade student Charlotte G. said she had fun learning new woodshop skills and knowing it was for a good cause made the project even more enjoyable.
“My heart was happy when I heard that it was going to get given away to a family member that’s part of the Fullerton community,” said Charlotte.
The project recently received a boost through the Orange County Department of Education’s Innovative Funding Initiative. In March, the Fullerton School District was named one of six local award recipients recognized for innovative approaches to strengthening student engagement and learning.
The $525,000 grant will support the Tiny Home Project’s expansion through 2029, helping fund new tools, materials, learning opportunities for students and additional resources for families in need.
Vidales said the project continues to show what students can achieve when they apply their learning in meaningful ways.
“I am very proud of my students and what they’ve accomplished this year,” said Vidales. “It’s rewarding to see them practice trade skills while receiving support from a community that believes in what they’re building.”
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- Paraeducator Raelene Velasquez at OCDE’s Sunburst Youth Academy in Los Alamitos was celebrated as one of California’s Classified School Employees of the Year for 2026 at a recent statewide ceremony led by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.
- Following school closures and evacuations in Garden Grove and surrounding cities due to the chemical tank incident at the GKN Aerospace Facility, the Orange County Fire Authority confirmed Tuesday — in collaboration with fire, EPA, law enforcement and county health agencies — that all evacuation orders had been lifted with no active chemical leak, threat of explosion, fire threat, or risk to the public remaining.
- The Orange County Youth Council, a student-led advisory group led by OCDE’s Friday Night Live Partnership, recently released season two of its “Keep in Mind” podcast — giving students a platform to discuss substance use prevention and other issues affecting student well-being.
- A new partnership between OCDE and Chapman University will support school leaders through training and collaboration focused on inclusive leadership practices in schools and supporting student success.
- Bright Futures Foundation CEO David Blair visited the set of the FutureCurrent podcast to discuss the importance of building partnerships and programs that support all students in Orange County alongside hosts County Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean and educator Lainie Rowell.
- In June, 21 Orange County students will head to the National History Day finals after strong performances helped the county earn top honors at the state competition.
- Orange County speller and El Rancho Charter student Sydney Tran concluded her run in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the second round, while the competition ended Thursday night with the crowning of Rancho Cucamonga eighth-grader Shrey Parikh as the national winner.
- Golden West College educator Katherine Green earned Orange County Teacher of the Year honors in April during a surprise visit from County Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean and others, highlighting the impact of her high-energy, hands-on instruction on student success.
- Class of 2026 graduation ceremonies have commenced this week for hundreds of seniors across Orange County campuses including Beckman High School, Garden Grove High School, Los Amigos High School and Santa Ana High School.
- The cost of healthcare benefits for California teachers and school districts has increased by more than 500 percent since the 2013–14 school year, according to a recent EdSource report.
- Parks Jr. High students turned their ideas into custom-made creations through the STEM VIII Prototyping & Applied Design course showcase, where students pitched their businesses, shared their marketing strategies and introduced their digital products made in partnership with Spyder Lab.
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