Building blocks

Not many teachers get to use a cement mixer alongside a textbook.

Likewise, not many students are encouraged to use a hammer in class.

And so it goes in Jim Wendel's construction academy class at Navarre High School - where students learn everything from millwork to math.

For Wendel, an Air Force veteran and four-time college graduate, it's par for the course.

"I want to teach these kids real-world life skills," he said.  "And here, in this environment, I'm able to do that."

For more on this story, see the May 20 issue of the Navarre Press or subscribe online.