High school students in North Carolina are making a difference by constructing tiny homes for victims of Hurricane Helene. Seniors Croix Silver and Hensley England, along with their carpentry classmates at Mountain Heritage High School in Burnsville, have taken on the meaningful project as part of their coursework.

“It makes us feel very proud knowing we can help out and change someone’s life,” Silver told ABC11 News.

The initiative, a collaboration between the high school and the nonprofit organization Rebuilding Hollers, aims to provide shelter for Yancey County residents who lost their homes in the storm. Founded by Stephanie Johnson after the hurricane, Rebuilding Hollers secures donated funds to purchase homebuilding materials, which are then delivered to the school’s carpentry class.

Silver and England are part of their teacher, Jeremy Dotts,’ honors carpentry class, which has been creating tiny homes for victims of Hurricane Helene as part of a “partnership between the high school and Rebuilding Hollers,” an organizationcreated by realtor Stephanie Johnson, in the aftermath of the storm.

“It makes me feel very proud knowing that I am able to help and change someone’s life that is in need through not only school but building and just helping out those that can’t really help themselves,” Silver told the outlet.

Under the guidance of their instructor, the students are constructing a 650-square-foot A-frame home shell. Carpentry teacher Dotts praised the partnership, calling it “a perfect marriage” that allows students to gain hands-on experience while making a real impact in their community.

This initiative not only equips students with valuable trade skills but also instills a strong sense of civic duty, demonstrating the power of local collaboration in times of crisis.