The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

A group of Chinook High students in the Ag Design class recently were able to apply what they learned to a real-life situation. While some of their classmates were on the annual "DC Trip" sponsored by the school, six students spent a part of three days completing a project that will help the folks managing the local Wildlife Museum.

Wildlife Museum Board Member Vicki Hofeldt heard the museum needed some different equipment in the museum's office to accommodate a new scanner. Vicki approached Wildlife Museum Manager Dawn Colby and CHS Ag and Shop Teacher Mitzi Cecrle to see if there was a way to get students involved in designing and reconfiguring the office space to meet the new need. Here's how the project was completed last week.

Donated office equipment and volunteer labor

Vicki Hofeldt said she was donating some scrap metal from her family's shop and taking it to the high school. She saw the ag in progress and wondered if students could help with the project to reconfigure the Wildlife Museum office. She approached Ag and Shop teacher Cecrle who agreed to let the students help. Cecrle said later, "The timing was perfect. Some of the students were on the DC trip and I didn't want to start a new unit about Computer Assisted Design (CAD) until the traveling students were back." The Ag Design students had learned how to layout planned a planned space using paper and pencil. The museum's task would be a chance for the students to practice some of the design techniques they just learned.

Vicki knew of some used office equipment that a cousin in Malta had. She called the cousin and got the go ahead to pick up a desk, file cabinet and some additional equipment. The equipment was a gift of Bob and Bridgett Ereaux of Malta. The CHS students would do the design and labor.

Ben Hofeldt, a CHS junior and Vicki's son, was one of the students in the Ag Design class. He said he and his fellow workers first measured the office space, recorded the dimensions of the new equipment and then drew a new plan for the space on graph paper. He added, "We used the same methods to redesign the office layout as we did on our shop projects." Mitzi Cecrle said it took six students part of three days to layout and complete the work. "The office was very small," she explained, "so the fact some of our students were gone actually was an advantage."

Asked about the biggest challenge of the job both the teacher and the student laborers agreed-having the right tools to do the job. Mrs. Cecrle said most high school shops have a limited number of tools. This became apparent on the museum's project when the students needed to attach fasteners for the shelving to a brick wall. Ben said, "We didn't have a tool that would drill a hole in such a hard surface." Fortunately Mitzi's husband had a tool that would do the work. This life lesson was not lost on the students or the teacher. Sometimes to complete a project you have to beg, borrow or improvise to get the job done.

Asked about the students doing similar projects in the future, Mitzi Cecrle said, "We are always looking for hands on projects for the students. This project was timely with some students away, allowing for all the remaining students to work on the project." She explained that before taking on any new projects for the students she would want to "make sure we have some lead time to prepare the students with skills to both design and do the work."

Museum Manager Colby was very pleased with how the project turned out. She said, "The office is now more accessible, convenient and efficient." She added, "It's a classic example of how folks in a small community can quickly come together to solve a problem. I was amazed that in just a few days a looming problem for the Museum was handled by our own students applying what they had learned and 'friends' giving us the needed furniture. It was definitely a win-win situation."