John Adams students participate in Fredrick Hanford Softball complex beautification project
MASON CITY — Students from John Adams Middle School were out this morning working on a beautification project at the Fredrick Hanford Softball Complex in Mason City.
The students under the guidance of their teachers designed, crafted and prepared colorful mural pieces to install on the aging concession and restroom building. The project includes large-scale wood murals shaped like a softball, puzzle pieces, and custom lettering that were all created and painted by the students themselves.
Anne Hansen not only teaches art at John Adams but also is chair of the city’s Parks & Recreation Board. She says for the last three school years the school has been doing a collaborative program between art and industrial technology called “Creative Power”, where they ask the community for project pitches.
Hansen says Parks & Recreation staff submitted this idea, which turned out to be a perfect fit for the class. “The great part about this project is the amount of collaboration that happened. Our seventh grade art students actually designed what the images would look like, and then we took the finalists from each class and presented them to Parks & Rec and they chose their winner. Then our eighth graders in our industrial tech actually did the creation. So they used the wood shop to cut the puzzle pieces, cut the letters, and now they are here painting the designs that they also designed on the walls.”
Hansen says the students were excited about doing the project. “They are so enthusiastic, I think that’s the great part about this community-based learning is that kids see themselves in their community, they know that they are making an impact, and they’re just really excited about what they’re doing. I think that’s a testament to just how invested and excited they are about their project but also their community.”
The city’s Parks & Recreation Department says the collaboration is part of a broader vision to update and reenergize the Fredrick Hanford Complex concession stand, turning the dated building into a vibrant focal point that welcomes all visitors to the park.
