CAN DO KIDS

"Dreams don't work unless you do." ~John C. Maxwell

I've been thinking a lot about kids doing out of the ordinary things. Earlier I shared about Christian Bucks who worked to get a Buddy Bench on his school playground in Pennsylvania.

In Iowa, Luke Thill grew fascinated by the Tiny House movement. He did some research, and said, "I got obsessed with them and decided to build my own." Quite an ambitious goal for an early teen, but clearly his dream! Luke convinced his parents, but there were conditions. Luke had to raise the money, find the materials, and stay on budget. Then he'd own it free and clear.

Luke raised money cutting lawns and other jobs. He gathered reclaimed materials and bought some new. He bartered labor. Luke even cleaned an electrician's garage in exchange for help wiring.

Luke built the 89 square foot tiny home on his family's property. He calls it his "starter home," although the city codes consider it a "glorified shed." No matter what you call it the structure has a kitchen and sitting area with a drop down table, and a wall mounted TV on the main floor. A bedroom is in the loft. There is no plumbing, but that's okay for now. He uses it for doing homework, hanging out with friends, and sleeping there a few times a week.

In the process of constructing his tiny home, Luke learned many life and building skills. But he's not stopping there. In the future he plans to sell it and build another one on a trailer hoping to haul it to college for cheap living.

When Luke spoke at TinyFest Midwest, he said, "I want to show kids it's possible to build at this age."

If you're interested in Luke's project, he has a YouTube channel. And if you know about any Can Do Kids, I'd like to hear about them, too.