Brothers Matt and Jason Whitbeck, who own Whitbeck Construction in Wilton, visited the eighth grade STEM classes at Queensbury Middle School on Friday, Jan. 12 to talk about construction trades and engage students in a hands-on construction project.
Students had to work in groups and use wood and glue donated by Curtis Lumber to build a 12-sided dodecahedron that could hold a 25-pound brick.
STEM teacher Jacqueline Moeller asked the builders — who belong to the Saratoga Builders Association — to visit QMS to teach the students about collaboration and teamwork, production, production costs, quality control, workflow and time management.
“I wanted the kids to also see construction in the classroom and how it impacts their lives,” Moeller said, “how they could enter that career if they wanted to or how they’re going to utilize the people that enter that career.”