Baldwin High School woodworking students recently completed a project for the New York State Parks system, building handcrafted podiums for use at Jones Beach State Park.
The project was completed by students in the school's Construction Career Pathway, a technology education program that provides hands-on training in foundational and advanced carpentry.
Students began the project in the high school's woodshop, where they researched, designed and drafted the podiums using AutoCAD, an industry-standard computer-aided design program. The district said students have access to modern equipment and professional-grade software to prepare them for careers in the construction trades.
The Advanced Carpentry and Woodworking students built each podium from three-quarter-inch maple plywood and finished them with custom molding crafted from 1-by-6-inch maple boards.
The project continues a 25-year partnership between Baldwin High School and the New York State Parks system, giving students the opportunity to complete projects with real-world applications. Over the years, students have built a variety of structures and fixtures for parks from Jones Beach to Montauk, including a snack shack, ticket-taker booths, storage boxes and a flight control platform used by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels during the annual Memorial Day air show.
"Designing and building handcrafted podiums for the New York State Parks Department through Baldwin High School's Advanced Carpentry class gives students the opportunity to apply their classroom skills to meaningful real-world projects," Advanced Carpentry teacher Vincent Leis said in a release. "For over 25 years, this partnership has provided students with firsthand experience in how craftsmanship, precision, teamwork and problem-solving translate beyond the shop and into professional applications, reinforcing the value and purpose of the skills they are learning."
The podiums were delivered to Jones Beach State Park ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
