Neenah students building Quarry Quest storage

Miron Construction Co., Inc., Michels Materials and Stock Lumber are giving students from Neenah High School the opportunity to see and work on a real construction project, which will provide storage for Quarry Quest.

The firms are splitting the cost of materials for the new storage garage being constructed at Michels Materials Quarry in Neenah.

Quarry Quest, an exciting family outing and fundraiser that has raised more than $650,000 for various children’s charities throughout the Fox Cities, offers hands-on educational activities, quarry tours and opportunities to ride and explore giant construction machinery.

The 35 students involved in the project are members of Neenah High School’s Building Construction Technologies Class, a carpentry class that teaches students to use the tools of the trade, as well as best practices for construction. The semester-long class requires that students actually take part in the construction of a garage in the community.

“I enjoy working on projects like this because it allows me to expand my knowledge of construction,” says Derek Laeyendecker, a junior at Neenah High School. “It’s also a great way to learn how to communicate and work well with my peers.”

Upon completion, the garage will measure 28 feet by 34 feet. Currently, students have all of the walls up and half of the roof sheaved with plywood. Shingles are expected to be finished soon. The process typically takes between six to eight weeks to complete with students onsite for a total of two hours per day. The first class meets at Michels Materials Monday through Friday from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. and the second class meets from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Craig Uhlenbrauck, Miron’s vice president of marketing, says he is “excited to get local students involved in a project that will benefit Quarry Quest, as well as give them a glimpse into the real-world use of construction methods and techniques. The need was certainly there for dry storage for materials used every year at Quarry Quest, so we’re happy that we were able to get such skilled students to help bring the project to life.”