Students from Greater Lowell Technical High School stand with their instructors in front of the new multipurpose stage they built for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell. Courtesy photo/Greater Lowell Technical School

TYNGSBOROUGH, Mass. — Superintendent-Director Jill Davis recently announced that her students at Greater Lowell Technical High School completed the construction of a 16-foot multipurpose stage for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell.

Starting in December 2023, approximately 35 students were given the task of building an indoor stage that could be used for a myriad of different functions including dances and performances.

Under the tutelage of instructors Patrick Couillard and Jonathan Hickey, the carpentry students met with design architect JuanCarlos Rivera to discuss the project’s specifications.

After building materials arrived in January, Couillard’s group of seniors began the six-week process of building the stage.

Senior Marisol Antongortee said the Boys & Girls Club provided him and his classmates with the opportunity to gain experience working on a real project.

“This was a great experience for all of us,” he said. “It’s amazing to see what we accomplished for the kids and the greater community. This project will hopefully open doors for Greater Lowell Tech to help with more projects in the future.”

Senior Landon Murray shared similar sentiments on a job well done.

“The project brought us all together while being able to work on such a large-scale structure,” he said. “This stage will hopefully benefit the people of our city and we are really proud of what we’ve done.”

The group of juniors, guided by Hickey, were responsible for ensuring that the project was completed in a safe manner.

The electrical work was completed by instructor Eric Weed and his students.

When the construction phase was finished, students in the Painting and Design program, led by instructor Michael Donahue, used several coats of water-based polyurethane sealant to protect the stage for years to come.

“The work was very tedious and we didn’t want to mess it up. It was a long process, but it was also fun,” said Isabella Viera, a junior in the Painting and Design program. “This stage will be an outlet for people to express themselves any way they want to! We’re very proud of the work we did.”