Every year, the tech math class creates podiums for teachers at Sterling High School at the end of the school year. Lots of thought, care, and time go into building these structural podiums. This is their fourth year building the podiums, and thirteen of them are in the hands of S.H.S. teachers now. 

  Tech math teacher Joel Penne said, “The inspiration for this project was a personal one. I wanted a podium for my classroom and the only ones available in our Sterling warehouse were old and beat up… I was not alone and many teachers were excited about the idea of a custom built podium.” 

  The students in tech math are able to create these podiums with the help of Penne. 

  Senior Fernando Cervantes said, “My favorite part is being able to cut and drill the wood together, and getting the hands-on experience of building them.”  

  The class interviews teachers who are selected for the podium creation every year and asks them what they would like the podium to look like. Students include photos of the previous ones that were built, if the teacher needs an idea of what to do. 

  Senior Davi Gonzaga de Alencar said, “When we finish building the podiums and give them out to the teachers, the smiles that are on their faces always make me happy. I want all the teachers in Sterling High School to be able to experience getting a new addition to their classroom.” 

  Coming together for the entire S.H.S. community, the tech math students do more than just create podiums for teachers as they have also done more hands-on projects like building bag boards, free little libraries, raised garden beds, and birdhouses. 

  The tech math class looks forward to continuing the legacy of building podiums for teachers, and hopes to add even more ideas for creating ideas for S.H.S. Penne hopes for the coming years that this will be able to continue and become something bigger.