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The Laramie Sunrise Rotary Club requests District 5440 grant support to provide tools, safety equipment, and classroom/shop equipment for the Laramie High School construction program. This equipment will support students as they participate in the Homes for Juarez project, a hands-on vocational education and service project in which students build panelized flat-pack homes that are later shipped to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, where Rotary partners coordinate final assembly for families in need.
This grant is intended to be a separate but complementary project to the Rotary Club of Laramie's District Grant application. The Rotary Club of Laramie grant is focused on purchasing construction materials and coordinating shipment of the flat-pack homes. The Laramie Sunrise Rotary Club grant would focus on a distinct local educational component: equipping the high school construction classroom with tools and safety equipment that students can use for this project and future construction learning opportunities.
The need being addressed is the need for practical vocational education resources for local students. The project will help students gain hands-on experience with measurement, layout, safe tool use, framing, panel construction, teamwork, and project completion. These are marketable construction skills that can benefit students whether they enter the workforce, pursue trade training, or continue their education. The equipment will also create a lasting benefit for the Laramie High School construction program beyond the current year's Homes for Juarez build.
The final equipment list will be based on input from the Laramie High School construction teacher. The requested items may include saws, drills, clamps, layout tools, measuring tools, safety glasses, gloves, hearing protection, worktables, storage racks, and related classroom/shop equipment. The teacher is expected to provide a prioritized list of needs, including estimated costs, before the grant application is finalized.
Laramie Sunrise Rotary members will be directly involved in the project. Sunrise Rotarians will coordinate with the high school construction teacher, review and approve the equipment list, purchase or reimburse eligible equipment purchases, deliver or help coordinate delivery of equipment to the school, document the equipment with receipts and photos, and follow up with the teacher and students regarding use of the tools during the Homes for Juarez build. Sunrise members may also visit the classroom during the project, assist with project documentation, and help publicize the vocational education and service impact of the project.
This project supports the broader Homes for Juarez effort while maintaining a separate and distinct grant purpose. Sunrise funds will not be used simply as a donation to another club's project. Instead, the grant will provide tools and safety equipment that directly benefit Laramie High School students and support future construction education opportunities.
The project is expected to begin with final confirmation of the teacher's equipment needs in June 2026. After District Grant approval, Sunrise Rotarians will coordinate equipment purchasing and delivery before or during the 2026-27 school year so the tools and safety equipment are available for the student build. Sunrise Rotarians will maintain receipts, document the equipment purchased, collect photos, track Rotarian involvement, and complete required District Grant reporting.
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