Building Construction Students Leave Legacy with Campus Gazebo

Lynwood, Calif. – Most everyone wants to leave their mark on their high school long after they’ve graduated and started their adult lives. A group of Advanced Building Construction Trades students at Lynwood High are leaving their legacy in the form of an impressive gazebo they designed and engineered themselves.

The project was unveiled during a ceremony May 8 in the campus’ courtyard. Initiated in November 2014, the gazebo was entirely prefabricated by a team of 14 sophomores, juniors and seniors. The pieces were put together over the past month, including a shingled roof adorned with a cupola.

“I want to congratulate the school and the students for doing such a remarkable job,” said Paul Gothold, Superintendent of the Lynwood Unified School District. “This is a great example of what career tech education is supposed to be – These types of engaging experiences provide a rewarding lesson that is applicable in a real-world setting.”

In an effort to give students hands-on experience in the construction trade, the district, along with the ROP program, moved funds and support for the project.

Students had to work through plans and apply their math skills to put the project and structure together. In sum, the $3,000 worth of materials to build the structure was provided with the help of Dr. Jean Jones, Principal of the Lynwood Community Adult School and head of the Regional Occupational Program.

The project was a valuable teaching tool, said Norman Powers, Building Construction trades teacher.

“I wanted to show the students how a business is run – it’s so important for them to be able to perform as a team and not as individuals,” said Powers. “In addition, the project involved math and engineering skills, with students entirely designing the plans and measuring all the angles involved in the structure.”

Students said the time, effort and dedication to the project was well worth it.

“It took a lot of hard work and effort to make this happen,” said Jose Vergara, 18, a senior, who helped in putting the project together. “We put the deck together as well as the walls, foundation and the roof.”

The completion of the gazebo also shows that a student project can have a major impact on the campus.

“This is a project that all the students can take pride in and enjoy for years to come. Our students have built a treasure that should be cherished by Lynwood High and our entire community,” said Maria Lopez, Board of Education President.

For students, the gazebo represents the lasting imprint they are leaving at Lynwood High.

“We wanted to do something nice for the school,” said Michael Sanchez, 17, a senior. “This is something we could look back at and say ‘we built that.’ ”