Visitors to the Emmaus Remembrance Garden now have new seats thanks to the hard work of students at Emmaus High School.

Students in technical education teacher Eric Smith’s course “Architecture-Design to Build” worked together to design, craft and install 10 benches for visitors to use in the garden, positioning the inviting seats beneath trees and the pergola at the site.

The project encourages and combines problem-solving and community service, Smith said in an interview at the site May 22 while five of his students worked to assemble and install the benches in the garden.

The students improved on the design of benches already at the site, incorporating a dado joint to solve the problem of the backs of the benches separating from the seat due to the choice to attach the bench seat to the back with metal screws. Made of western red cedar wood and coated with a sealant to protect them from the weather, the new benches were made possible thanks to a donation from the EHS Class of 1968 in answer to a wish list request from Emmaus Remembrance Garden Executive Director Dr. Mike Waddell.

Students designed, cut the wood, built and sealed the benches. Approximately 100 man hours went in to the project.

“I show them once and they’re off,” Smith said of his students’ efforts.

The project required no work outside of school hours.

“These won’t fall apart. These will last,” EHS student Michelle Cox said of the benches.

The students also built the barricade featured in the EHS Theater’s production of “Les Miserables: School Edition” in April.