New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Tech ed students create mini golf course
SHELTON — Some industrious high schoolers took Get Outside and Play Day to the next level.
Career and Tech Education students used their creative skills to give their classmates a chance to hit the links right in Finn Stadium.
“This is a fun way to spend a Friday,” said James Zaccagnini, one of the course creators.
High schoolers got to play some mini golf as well as cornhole, volleyball, kick ball, Wiffle ball, disc golf and badminton as part of the state Department of Education’s Get Outside and Play for Children’s Mental Health Day, observed statewide in each school district.
“Get Outside and Play for Children’s Mental Health Day was a tremendous success in all our Shelton schools,” said Superintendent Ken Saranich, who spent time watching over the festivities at Shelton High.
“It provided a valuable opportunity for our school district to prioritize children’s mental health, as we witness the positive effects of outdoor activities on students’ mental wellbeing,” Saranich added.
The mini golf course
was the brainchild of tech ed teachers Jeff Roy and Jeff Mackniak, who said they offered the idea to their students who took the clubs and ran with them.
“We knew this was a unique project, but this is not anything new to the students in this program,” Mackniak said. “The kids really brought this together.”
Zaccagnini and fellow freshmen Mike Owens and Elijah Descheen stood next to their creations Friday, saying it took long hours, a lot of design
changes, cutting and recutting of plywood, and plenty of screws to bring six different holes to life.
“It took a lot of trial and error,” said Owens.
The trio described how students sketched out the designs for each hole, with the entire project taking some two months to complete. The result is a mini golf course that will be available for students for years to come – and will most assuredly be expanded upon, Mackniak said.
“We cut every piece ourselves,” said Descheen.
“It was a lot of work.”
Each hole had a unique design. A cross section of wood is under each one to help hold it together off the ground, adding to the workload but allowing the students to learn how to use all the tools and computer design equipment in the shop.
“We thought this would be fun … everyone loves hitting the ball with the club,” said Zaccagnini. “We could have picked something easier, but this was really challenging and fun in the end.”