Hone Your Skills, Build a Legacy
Picture this: you are standing inside a cottage you designed and built from scratch. Every beam, every joint, every finish detail tells the story of your process of developing skills and employing them in an impressive setting. This is the journey of the Master Builder Program at Rockbridge Creative Institute.
Over three inspiring years, you’ll go from felling your first trees to constructing buildings that endure for generations. You’ll face challenges. Two days each week you will have class time to learn and discuss the ideas behind the procedures. At RCI we believe in Learning for the Sake of Doing. You will finish with the hands-on experience and leadership skills to take on any project. You’ll master a broad survey of the trades – foundation work, carpentry, masonry, HVAC, electrical, and plumbing etc.
If this sounds intriguing to you, keep reading to learn more.
The Journey of a Master Builder
Year 1: Building the Foundations
In your first year, you’ll have an initial skills assessment as you dig into the fundamentals of design, engineering, and construction. You’ll test soil and master CAD site planning, then bring those plans to life by reshaping the land with an excavator. You will study fundamentals of basic road design, GIS integration, heavy equipment operation, and surveying. You’ll weld, forge, and fabricate—becoming proficient in tools like plasma cutters and presses. Alongside this, you’ll dive into history, economics, and chemistry, learning how craftsmanship shapes cultures and societies. A schedule of purposeful field trips will enrich your appreciation of both modern and traditional methods. By the end of the year, you’ll have started your own LLC, marking the first step in building your own enterprise.
Year 2: Line Upon Line
Year two pushes your skills to the next level. Your team will learn to manage a construction schedule as the walls begin to rise. You will lay brick, join timbers and engineer trusses. You’ll choose roofing and flooring systems for your project and integrate plumbing, electrical and HVAC work. The second year is fast moving and productive but there is time allocated for recreation as well. Plan to kayak the New River Gorge, hike the Appalachian Trail, or refine your marksmanship skills at the RCI outdoor shooting range.
Year 3: The Capstone
Your final year you will complete you building projects. The internal fixtures, furnishings, and finishes. You’ll tackle large-scale projects like landscaping, earthworks, and outdoor water management. Your major structure—whether it’s a cottage, a church, or a village building—gives you an integrated look at how living and working spaces can enhance the land. With guidance from mentors and real-world experience, you’ll prepare to sit for your General Contractor’s license.
By the time you graduate, you won’t just be a builder—you’ll be a Master Builder, ready to lead, create, and leave a legacy that lasts.
What It Means To Be A Master Builder
Being a Master Builder is about shaping spaces that inspire and endure. As a graduate of RCI’s Master Builder Program, you’ll join a select group of people who don’t just work with their hands—they lead with vision, build with purpose, and transform their craft into an act of faith.
St. Benedict said “work is prayer”. It should be.
Why Our Program Is Different
Our program challenges the mind, feeds the soul and prepares the hands.
- ROI – We expect our graduates to make six figures or more: The odds are in your favor. The winds of market forces are at your back. There are 5 skilled labor positions available for every graduate that enters the work force.
- It’s a Great Way to Live: Working, learning and living together in a place of immense beauty is a reality at RCI. We have a powerful vision shared by good people.
- Entrepreneurial Focus: While you are in school you will launch your own LLC and gain the leadership skills needed to run a successful business even before you graduate. A policy of Enduring Mentorship is offered to our graduates from RCI. You are always welcome back to campus to learn or “sharpen your saw”.
- Integrated Education: Study core subjects like history, economics, and science, complementing the practical skills that make you a consummate tradesman and entrepreneur.
Are You Ready to Build Zion?
The Master Builder Program is your gateway.
Take on the challenge! Apply today and start your journey as a Master Builder.
