WSWHE BOCES builds a shed for SoBro Conservancy
As SoBro Conservancy of Saratoga began transforming the barren former gas station site at 209 South Broadway in Saratoga Springs into a vibrant green space, we needed a shed.
With education a key part of SoBro Conservancy’s mission, we didn’t want to just buy an off-the-rack shed to house our garden tools, hoses, and the brains of the drip irrigation system. We wanted young people to have a stake in our regreening project. We wanted students to gain experience by building our shed, so we contacted the WSWHE BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) division to assist.
In spring 2023, John Coffinger and his construction trades students at the Southern Adirondack Education Center in Hudson Falls signed on as partners for the project and began work on the 8'x12' shed. Students from this year’s class continued when they arrived in the fall. Construction was completed in late February 2024.
The construction trades students helped develop a plan with guidance from Mark Torpey and Tom Denny of SoBro Conservancy’s board. The students acquired skills using stationary power tools as well as hand power tools. The students learned proper methods of hand tool manipulation (hammering), proper stud placement and layout, rafter layout, cutting, roof finishes and installation, and beveled siding installation. In total 30 students took part in the build.
The Saratoga Springs Rotary Club, through their Community Support Program, provided major funding to purchase materials used for the shed construction. The next step is to move the hefty shed to its new home at 209 South Broadway in Saratoga, a triangular parcel at one of Saratoga’s most prominent intersections, where South Broadway and Ballston Avenue meet. In early May, SoBro Conservancy will be planting three large beds full of native, pollinator-friendly perennials and shrubs. The shed will house the garden tools, hoses, and the brains of a timed drip irrigation system.
Construction Trades Instructor John Coffinger said, “the best part of the build was putting the siding and finishing touches on. To see the students' reactions and looks on their faces when they can stand back and take a look at what they have built, I feel a sense of pride knowing that my class built this and their hard work is going to a good cause to help out others.”
Tom Denny, the board chair of SoBro Conservancy, said, “we have been so excited to visit the workshop and follow the BOCES students’ progress with our shed. It is a critical piece of our regreening project, providing secure storage for our tools in a public, urban space. Our volunteers will benefit from the work of the BOCES team for many years to come. The students should take great pride in their handsome shed that will be a landmark to the thousands who pass the site each day.”
WSWHE BOCES contributes to numerous community projects each year to give its CTE students real world experiences. In addition to construction trades, CTE classes include auto body repair, automotive technology, cosmetology, criminal justice studies, culinary arts and hospitality, early childhood education, environmental conservation and forestry, graphic and visual communications, health occupations, HVAC-R, heavy equipment operation and maintenance, horse care, horticulture, landscaping and floral design, industrial and performance machining, power sport technology, and welding.