👥 Who: Okaloosa Technical College students and Director Jon Williams
🔨 What: Bidding opened for four student-built tiny homes
📅 When: Now through November 19 at 3:30 p.m.
📍 Where: Okaloosa Technical College, Okaloosa County
🎯 Why: To give students real-world, hands-on experience while providing high-quality homes to the community
Okaloosa Technical College (OTC) is inviting community members, builders, and tiny-home enthusiasts to submit bids for four newly completed student-built tiny homes. Bids will be accepted through Wednesday, November 19, at 3:30 p.m., with interested buyers encouraged to request a bid packet early due to expected high interest.
The tiny homes—each uniquely crafted—represent the culmination of months of hands-on work by OTC students enrolled in several skilled trade programs. These programs include Building Trades, Carpentry, Electrical, and HVAC, giving students an opportunity to collaborate across disciplines in a real jobsite-style environment.
OTC Director Jon Williams said the program is one of the college’s longest-running and most successful forms of experiential learning.
“Okaloosa Technical College has been building these and similar houses for decades,” Williams explained. “When it comes to skilled labor and trades, there is no better way to learn than by doing. Projects like this give students the confidence, craftsmanship, and teamwork experience they’ll carry into the workforce.”
Each tiny home is built to reflect high-quality construction standards learned through OTC’s curriculum. Students are responsible for framing, finishing, electrical wiring, HVAC installation, interior design elements, and safety checks—mirroring the expectations of local industry employers. The homes feature functional layouts, efficient use of space, and professional-grade materials, showcasing the students’ growing mastery of the trades.
Williams said the project strengthens both students and the community.
“OTC is deeply committed to hands-on, experiential training,” he added. “Our programs immerse students in real-world projects that prepare them for high-demand careers right here in our region. These tiny homes not only provide invaluable skill-building opportunities but they also benefit the community. Four lucky buyers will have the chance to own one of these exceptional homes, so bring your bids!”
The Tiny Home Project is a core component of the Okaloosa County School District’s career and technical education mission. By providing students with meaningful, tangible projects that mimic real-world industry work, OTC continues to support the local workforce pipeline. Many graduates of these programs go on to jobs in carpentry, construction, electrical work, HVAC installation, and general contracting across Northwest Florida.
A video highlighting the construction process, classroom-to-worksite training, and student experiences is available online at the OTC Tiny Homes Project.
To obtain a bid packet or for additional questions, community members may email Vicky.Aucoin@okaloosaschools.com.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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