U of M, Crookston students in the Facilities Maintenance and Safety class were treated to a reception by grateful staff at Villa St. Vincent last Friday.  The project began last year when students prepared, placed, and finished the foundation slab for a park shelter located on the grounds of the Villa for their laboratory project in concrete construction.  Students in this year's same course recently completed the wood construction phase of the project. 

The picnic shelter is 22' x 18' x 8' high with a 20-inch roof overhang.  The shelter is constructed with a hip roof and the sides are open.  This service-learning project met a true community need and gave students an opportunity to learn through a "real-world" opportunity.

The above photo shows the construction process from the concrete slab to the class photo at the finished picnic shelter