he Construction Technology program at Iowa Lakes Community College has been selected as the winner of the One in a Million Tool Giveaway held by Kyle Stumpenhorst, Owner of Rural Renovators (RR) Buildings in Franklin Grove, Illinois, via a contest held on his YouTube channel. The prize package consists of tools valuing more than $13,000.
Stumpenhorst promised his loyal YouTube viewers that if he crossed over one million followers, he would do a “One in a Million Tool Giveaway and hand deliver an epic pile of tools.”
The contest was simple; those interested needed to submit a video by June 1, 2022, explaining why they should be selected to win the tools. Stumpenhorst then planned to compile the top five entries and allow his YouTube followers to choose the winner from the finalists with a vote held during a live stream.
“I wanted to give back to the community that helped me grow my following by giving away all the tools I personally use and love. I think this giveaway couldn’t have ended any better. To have the winners be a program that is teaching the future generation the trades and knowing that these tools will have a great impact on so many people is awesome,” said Stumpenhorst.
After viewing more than 2,500 videos multiple times, Stumpenhorst selected six finalists, including the video submitted by Corey Menning, Program Coordinator of the Construction Technology program at Iowa Lakes.
“I have followed Kyle’s YouTube channel ‘RR Buildings’ for several years. Kyle puts out great content specific to construction and the tools we use in the field. One of my students, Carlos Balderas, a freshman at the time who is now a sophomore, saw the video about the giveaway before I saw it and encouraged me to enter because he thought it would be awesome to win tools for the program,” explained Menning.
The One in a Million Tool Giveaway consists of high-end quality tools from top-of-the-line manufacturers, including Milwaukee, DeWalt, Makita, Metabo, Paslode, Stabila, Diablo, Martinez, Diamondback, Stileto, Midwest Snips, ISO Tunes, and Truewerk.
Tools in the prize package include miter saws, circular saws, table saws, reciprocating saws, hammer drill impact drivers, toolbelt systems, work clothing systems, framing nailers, hammers, routers, gauges, saw blades, and more.
“I have always wanted great tools for my students, but with cordless tools, it makes sense to stick with one battery line to save money by not buying multiple tools, batteries, and chargers. This prize package has so many tools that I’ve wanted to get my hands on and try out with my students! Winning is a dream come true that will benefit the program and students for years! Plus, it’s amazing that Kyle and Greg will be hand-delivering them to our program,” exclaimed Menning.
This year, Menning and his construction students have taken on their largest building project to date by building a duplex for Emmetsburg Community Development Corporation (ECDC). So far, Hansen Quality Concrete, the owner of which is an Iowa Lakes Construction Technology graduate, has completed the concrete for the floors, garages, and driveway.
Seven full-time first-year students and three Career Academy high school students earning dual credit (by working two hours a day) have completed the framing of the walls and will be moving on soon to sheathing the walls and installing roof trusses.
“My students will be able to learn hands-on how the different tools and brands feel, which ones work best for them and learn about the price points of different tools, allowing them to make informed decisions before purchasing tools for their future businesses. These tools are a huge gift for our program,” shared Menning.
Students will learn all the skills needed to work in residential construction by the time the project is complete in May 2023. Skills learned will include wall and roof framing, concrete, exterior finishing, window installation, interior finishing, cabinetry installation, interior doors and trim installation, and the soft skills needed when speaking with customers.
Iowa Lakes Community College has always been a great place to start building a construction career, and now thanks to winning these tools, students will have access to more of the best tools available in the industry.
Original source can be found here.
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