Students
at Suffern High School are taking classwork to another level by designing
interior models for a tiny home village for veterans.
The young interior
designers can now add the title to their transcript as they are the creative
minds behind seven design models for the tiny home village.
"I
said I want in on this, I want my kids to have this real-life experience where
at a time it's so difficult to engage in school, they can do something
meaningful,” says Suffern High School teacher Shawna Strenfel.
News 12
is told the designs are for the
Rumshock
Victory Village, which will eventually be built on 10 acres in Orange
County.
The
designs mimic a tiny home community for homeless veterans where each home is
600 square feet.
Students
Alexandra Gusciora and Cassandra Colucci say the opportunity is rewarding in
more ways than one.
"It
was extremely exciting because not everyone, on a daily basis, get to
change a veteran’s life," says Colucci.
"These
veterans are just so important and have gone through so much,” says Gusciora.
The
homes will be Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant, include smart
technology and be within a budget of $30,000.
Suffern
High School student Samantha Ross tells News 12 the homes will be equipped with
a Ring doorbell for security and
Amazon’s Echo Show 8 for the ability to change temperatures within the home.
Student
Ewa Topczewiski calls the experience mind-blowing.
“It's
just so mind-blowing that our designs are actually going to be put in the
community, and people will say, 'Hey these high schoolers took the job of
helping these veterans,'” says Topczewiski.
Hudson
Valley residents are invited to view the presentations and vote for their
favorite.
Three
designs will be selected by the end of March. To cast your vote, visit their
website.The Rumshock
Veterans Foundation is still searching for its Orange County location.