Three male teachers from Riverside Intermediate School in Plymouth are mentoring eight 5th grade boys in a unique afterschool program.
Social Studies Teacher Jeff Hunter, PE Teacher Tim Schmidt and Math Teacher Trenton Hunter felt there were a few student who could benefit from a mentor program and decided to create a hands-on building project to bring them all together.
Just after Christmas break the mentors and students started meeting in the high school shop class and began building a dog house. This isn’t your average dog house…it has a porch and a deck. The whole thing measures 6 feet long with the house being 4 X 4.
The students are making new friends, learning skills such as team work, use of construction tools, using math skills, problem solving and leadership skills. The goal is to complete the construction project this month and during May conduct a raffle with funds raised being donated to the Marshall County Humane Society.
Tim Schmidt said, “The boys thoroughly enjoy it and look forward to coming to the high school after school on Tuesday to work on the dog house.”
Things have gone so well this year that teachers hope to extend the program next year with these boys, who will be 6th graders mentoring the incoming 5th graders.
Sergio Tapia, a 5th grader involved in the project said, “I really like building thing and learning how to work with tools.”
A $250 grant was awarded to the project so all funds raised from the raffle will help build the program for next year.
