Position: Construction Technology Teacher
School: Poinciana High School
School District: Osceola County School District
City, State: Kissimmee, FL
Irvin Inwood was nominated by a member of his community, Nathan Spidel.
For over 24 years, Mr. Inwood has been changing the lives of his students, as well as the surrounding community of Poinciana, Florida. He has created a program to teach students a skilled trade that can be transformed into a career after high school. All the while, he provides numerous charitable events for the Poinciana community.
Eagle Construction is the program offered at PHS that Mr. Inwood created some 20+ years ago. He says he started it with a bucket and his own tools he brought from home. Today, it is not just an elective, but a program that has helped countless students get ready for a career after high school.
Students graduating from this program are almost guaranteed a high-paying job in the local construction industry.
“I’ve had students making up to $100,000 that started this in high school,” said Inwood. “Even if students want to go to college, that’s fine. But if college doesn’t work out, at least they'll always have something to fall back on. We have scholarships offered to students every year, a toolbox award ceremony, different field trips, SKILLSUSA and many job opportunities."
Mr. Inwood treats his class like a business.
"Starting this program can help you open your eyes to the construction career, but not all students will go into this career", Mr. Inwood said.
Students get real, hands-on experience because they are assigned to various projects that are designed and built for paying customers. A vast selection of different furniture pieces made in class are then sold. The money made through Eagle Construction is put back into school and the community of Poinciana.
Mr. Inwood also created a non-profit, "New Start Housing Partners, Inc." The students and Mr. Inwood have done countless good deeds through this organization, including the restoration of a 1935 home. The home was badly destroyed in a 2013 fire that left past a PHS students' Mother homeless. Students have also built "tiny houses" in class that are then donated to homeless parents of students in the Community. Recently, an older school bus was purchased, and the Eagle Construction crew is turning it into a "mobile teaching" bus. When finished, the bus will drive into the communities of Miami, where children who do not go to school can have the opportunity to learn and be taught a skilled trade.
Mr. Inwood also provides for other high schools in the district. Two sizable donations from his non-profit provided Thanksgiving dinner for families at Poinciana High and Liberty High School this year.
Mr. Inwood also runs an annual toy drive during the holiday season. The toys are sent to Old Town in Kissimmee where they are collected. Then, they go to the Osceola Council on Aging, where they are separated by volunteers and distributed to needy families.
“We collect anywhere from 300 to 500 toys every year,” Inwood said. “Students and teachers continue to donate every year. This helps the students get involved with the community and teaches them that giving is not always a bad thing.”
Mr. Inwood embodies what it means to be a LifeChanger. His dedication to his students, his philanthropy for the Community of Poinciana, and his benevolence have made him a true LifeChanger.