LOVELAND, Colo. — Students in a construction and design class at Loveland High School are building outdoor furniture for The Landing, a local youth shelter that serves teenagers experiencing housing instability, as part of a school project rooted in community service and trauma-informed design.
Seniors Josiah Crill, Atticus Johnson and Isaac Lessem are among the students in LHS teacher Dave Neisler’s IB Design Technology class who conceived, designed and built a range of outdoor furnishings intended for the shelter’s previously empty patio. The items include cornhole boards, convertible benches and combination picnic tables, all slated for delivery to The Landing.
The project began when LHS school counselor Jill Doty toured The Landing shortly after it opened and heard staff mention the lack of outdoor furniture. She brought the idea to Neisler, who had recently launched the IB Design Technology course and was looking for a community-centered project.
“It’s them looking at a situation and using research skills and thinking skills to come up with what they’re going to build,” Neisler said of his students’ approach…