CBH Homes, a home building firm in Idaho, has announced the return of “The House That She Built,” an interactive event that allows young girls to explore the world of construction. Last year, CBH Homes hosted 300 Girl Scouts and quickly realized the need to open it to the entire community, officials said.
“We were awestruck last year. The turnout of Girl Scouts blew us away and inspired us to open it up to all girls in the community,” said Ronda Conger, vice president of CBH Homes. “We’re passionate about showing girls that construction is a rewarding and promising career.”
Inspired by the children’s book “The House That She Built” by Mollie Elkman, which is based on a true story of an all-women built house in Utah, the event highlights the diverse skills and people involved in building homes.
This year’s main event was held on the afternoon of Thursday, October 12, at CBH Homes’ newest community—Spring Shores in Nampa, Idaho.
With a workforce comprised of 70% women, officials for CBH Homes say the company is committed to fostering a more inclusive construction industry. “The House That She Built” event provides a platform for girls to:
- Engage in hands-on activities, participating in a mini construction project, providing a tangible experience of the building process;
- Connect with industry role models by meeting and learning from successful women in various construction roles; and
- Tour a CBH Home community, exploring a real-world construction site and witness different stages of the home building process.
The mission of The House That She Built is to support workforce development initiatives in the construction industry by generating awareness of the skilled trades to the largest underrepresented community. The movement has grown to become a Girl Scout Patch Program and now a non-profit organization shebuilt.org.