Lakeland Community College's Mooreland Mansion boasts a revitalized deck outside the main entrance of the building.

Lakeland Community College turned the historic Mooreland Mansion into a hands-on construction lab this spring, providing real-world experience for students in the college's trades programs.

Under the guidance of instructor Jim Capel and classroom assistant Mike Glodowski, high school students from the Lake Shore Compact enrolled in Lakeland's College Credit Plus (CCP) program diligently began working to restore the large deck that extends around three sides of the historic mansion.

The project began when Capel reached out across campus looking for opportunities for his students to apply their skills. The Lakeland Foundation and facilities management team identified the weathered Mooreland Mansion deck as the perfect renovation project.

"This has been an incredible experience for our students to learn by actually removing and installing new decking and lattice at such a historic location," said Capel. "The hands-on nature of this work is invaluable."

Nearly every day this spring, the engaged students could be found at the mansion meticulously transforming the deck under Capel's and Glodowski's guidance. Their efforts turned the worn decking into a beautifully restored feature complementing the mansion.

"Lakeland Community College’s partnership with the Lake Shore Compact has given area high school students an unparalleled opportunity to get real-world construction experience at an iconic local landmark," said Dr. Joe Glavan, director of workforce development for Mentor Schools and Lakeland Community College. The Lake Shore Compact is a career technical consortium serving Euclid, Mentor and Wickliffe school systems, with the primary objective of preparing students to enter a four-year college, a two-year technical school, or a career of their choosing.

Funding for the deck restoration project was provided by Remarkable Lake County (Lake County Visitors Bureau) and The Lakeland Foundation. The students were honored for their efforts at the Foundation's annual Donor-Scholar Breakfast in April.

"Seeing our region's future construction workforce diligently honing their craft has been extremely rewarding," said Tina Baucher, interim executive director at The Lakeland Foundation. “We are deeply appreciative of the work the students have performed.”

The Mooreland Mansion decking will undergo further enhancements in the fall semester.

By: Levi Rex, Marketing Communications Specialist