The Perry High School residential construction class has completed stage one of the pergola build, which includes the concrete base and seating. The pergola is positioned between the high school and the auditorium building. This project has been completely funded by students through fundraisers held last spring 2021 during MAD Week (Making a Difference).
The class chose to make concrete benches because purchasing seating would have used up all the budget. By going with concrete, they have money to build the rest of the pergola and it taught students the process of making concrete seats.
Rebar was put in the slab sticking up where each bench leg is and forms were made to pour the legs. A mold was made in class and each top was poured and then placed on the legs.
Stage two of the project will begin next school year and will consist of putting up the wood structure overhead, as shown in the picture drawn by the CAD class.
Mr. Jeff Zagar, class instructor overseeing the project, commented, "I love doing projects like this because it gives the students a hands-on learning experience and they can come back in ten years and say, 'I helped build that!’”
