High school woodshop classes foster creativity that is hard to rival in any other classroom. From building super cute birdhouses to sturdy coffee tables to handy cabinets, shop class sometimes allows for more than just woodworking, as some Erie High School students in Pennsylvania can attest to.
Donating dog houses
Juniors and seniors from teacher Mike Trippe’s shop class built three incredible dog houses that they donated to the Erie Humane Society. The amazing houses “feature front porches, asymmetrical roofs and decks perfect for sunbathing,” according to Erie News Now.
They also have windows so that the dogs can look outside.
How the project came together
The collaboration on the dog houses was a class project. Students worked together to design blueprints and then build the houses. The goal was to combine creative features with durability.
“Their intent is to do something nice for homeless animals in need and send select shelter dogs to their forever homes with one of these custom-built houses; a special place of their own, to enjoy with their family,” according to YourErie.com.
Erie Humane Society speaks out
Nicole Bawol, executive director of the Erie Humane Society, recently spoke to JET 24 FOX66 YourErie about the dog houses.
“What we are going to do is fit certain dogs into them and then we are going to donate their houses with them when they’re adopted,” Bawol said. “So they can use them in their backyard, especially because there are lots of pets that go into their yard, and we need to make sure they have food, water, shelter in the yard.”
A new tradition emerges
The shop teacher told JET 24 FOX66 YourErie that he hopes the initiative will become an annual tradition at the school. I’m sure both the dogs and the Erie Humane Society appreciate the wonderful skills the shop class showed off in their creations.
About the Erie Humane Society
Originally incorporated in 1892, the Erie Humane Society is a private, non-profit, charitable organization located in Erie, Pennsylvania. It rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes pets.
“Operating under ‘No-Kill’ standards, the Erie Humane Society works to rehabilitate the whole pet, understanding their behavior, medical, and emotional needs,” according to the organization’s Website. “Because of our dedication and commitment to reintegration efforts, pets are given an opportunity to start a fresh chapter while waiting to find their forever homes.”
Other amazing woodshop projects
Interested in woodworking? It can be a fun hobby that produces satisfying, creative projects. Let’s take a look at some easy woodworking projects for those just starting out:
- Cutting board to place in your kitchen.
- Pallet wood shelf to hold tools and other odds and ends in the garage.
- Fancy wooden wall art to impress friends and family.
- Wood birdhouse to spruce up your front or backyard.
- DIY Lazy Susan for the kitchen table.
- Sofa sleeve cup holder to hold your coffee cup or soda when watching TV.
- Wood plan wine rack to display your favorite wine collection.
- Wooden slate welcome doormat.
- Multi-level wood pencil holder
- Artsy wooden bookends.
- Candleholders of any size and for any room.
- Side tables for the living room or even the backyard.
- Wall bookshelves to hold your favorite book collections.
- Wall rack to hold your tools, such as hammers, screwdrivers, and cutting knives.
- And, of course, a woodworker’s workbench!
Watch the video below to find out more why and how the high school students built and donated the dog houses.
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Source: YouTube/JET24 FOX66 YourErie
