Thanks to the initiative of a Liberty Middle School student, dozens of students, staff and community volunteers came together earlier this month to construct a variety of wooden projects.

Montgomery Allen, president of the National Junior Honor Society, spearheaded the initiative by drafting a proposal, which she presented to NJHS members and their advisor for approval. She also presented to the Liberty Rotary Club, securing a $500 donation, wrote a formal request to the Liberty PTA, which resulted in a $300 contribution, and pitched the project to Fallsburg Lumber, who donated all the lumber, screws, wood glue, and sandpaper.

To further support the project, the Lighthouse Team hosted a onesie fundraiser, raising an additional $94.

The end result was 53 students, six staff members, and seven community volunteers building 35 birdhouses, two picnic tables, two modern benches, and two raised garden beds.

Ms. Alyssa Thalmann helped organize and preplan, including getting the plans together for all the stations and pre-cutting all the wood.

On build day, students had the opportunity to read plans, measure wood and use hand tools to bring their projects to life. They were fully immersed in the hands-on experience—learning new skills, collaborating with peers, problem-solving and sharing plenty of laughter along the way. For four hours, they worked with focus and determination.. Though they ended the day with sore hands and a few blisters, they were beyond proud.