Middle school project elicits real-life lessons  

Fifteen students involved with the Architectural Awareness Club at Owego-Apalachin Middle School recently completed the 23rd project since the inaugural project in 1996. 

This year’s project, a modeled rendition of the Owego United Methodist Church, showcases its historical significance, and also holds a special meaning for four of the students who attend the church. Located at 261 Main Street, the church dates back to 1870.   

In a partnership between school districts and BOCES, local businesses and community organizations, the Tioga County Coalition for Better Schools, which also includes Candor, Newark Valley and Tioga Center, provides educational enrichment activities for students, and architectural awareness is just one of many subjects.  

Bringing education to life, students complete true-to-scale models of historic and other prominent buildings, and then present designs for their adaptive re-use. The projects offer students a hands-on, experimental learning approach and links all disciplines and academics.

Led by technology education teacher Don Shultz, the students also received creative guidance from art teacher Jolene Williams.

Shultz stated, “Some huge lessons were taught, everything from problem-solving to networking,” adding, “Dovetailing all of the subjects together resulted in a perfect interdisciplinary unit of study.”

Other facets, Shultz explained, allowed students to experience public speaking, planning, time management, teamwork, responsibility and accountability. 

After gathering and researching historical documents and blueprints, and networking with County Historian Emma Sedore and church representatives, among others, the students created a 1/24-scale model of the church. But well before those steps, students debated and then took a vote from several project options.

Students visited the church location where they took measurements and photographs. Every inch of the structure was analyzed in order to scale-down to one half inch to each foot of the original measurement. And, as has been done in past years, every tiny model piece was cut as many as six times, and then the best piece was selected for the final product.

Utilizing state-of-the-art equipment to complete the project was exciting for many students, too, and as Daniel Hall eagerly shared, “I used a computerized program to recreate the church spire.” 

Hall, and fellow club members Abby Murphy, Brian Graham and Will Morton, pointed out that the original church spire was struck by lightning in 1907. According to their findings, the church held the distinction of being the tallest building in the village prior to the incident.

Two historical features of the church, Morton explained, include 12 sections within the round window on the front of the building, which represent the Twelve Apostles; and, another, he mentioned, “The outside doors are red to represent the blood shed at the crucifixion.”

Since the club originated, methods have improved and the introduction of new equipment has made detailed tasks a bit easier. For example, students explained that by using a U.V. printer today to produce the Methodist Church windows eliminated some of the laborious tasks that 2007 club members dealt with when they recreated the Owego Presbyterian Church windows.   

Over the years, Shultz has taught his students how important it is to be resourceful, too. For example, the railings on the steps leading into the church were repurposed from coat hangers.

Traditions have been carried on since the club’s beginnings, such as leaving behind a spare tool inside the project, along with placing a “floating” bench as one of the last tasks, a fixture that has been reused every year.

An integral part of the project, students had to agree on an adaptive re-use of the project that would benefit the community and chose to correlate with a church-themed practice of healing and kindness by, “Utilizing available space in the church to facilitate an off-campus accredited college class for training drug rehabilitation counselors.”

Initial project planning starts in the summer months even before school begins, and throughout the journey students show their dedication by using study halls, and even lunch periods, to work on the project.  

Student Architects include Gavin Bowers, Owen Casterline, Caleb Ferraro, Brian Graham, Katlyn Gusse, Travis Gusse, Daniel Hall, Carly Kirtland, Jacob Krassin, Chris Marinich, Will Morton, Abby Murphy, Gabe O’Donnell, Garrett Shultz and Tyler Taft. 

The Owego Apalachin Middle School students presented their 2018 project to the coalition, and will soon present to the Rotary Club, the Owego-Apalachin School Board and the Methodist Church.

To learn more about the project, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VaoPfzm7yQ&feature=youtu.be, or search for Owego Apalachin Middle School Architecture Club 2018 on YouTube.  

You can also find the “Architectural Awareness Club” on Facebook.