New construction zone: Mary Mavecville

You may not have noticed but there has been some major construction quietly going on at Mary Mavec Opportunity School on Lakeshore Boulevard. Students, volunteers and the school’s director have all been working together to create a miniature town complete with schools, churches, sidewalks and skyscrapers. 

The village is constructed entirely out of recyclables, including shoeboxes, cereal boxes, dried beans, photos and magazine cutouts, and was the inspiration of the school’s director, Vicky Geer. Vicky was looking for a project that would be fun, creative and ecologically friendly, while providing an opportunity to teach a variety of lessons.

Each student contributed with creatively ideas to make the village a reality. As they worked on the project, the students discussed the various aspects of what goes into the makeup of a town, the work required to maintain a town and the variety of people they would expect to meet.  They also discussed the various kinds of architecture and what determines the design of a city, such as climate and culture.

Upon completing their village, Mary Barno commented, "We are not only artists but now we are architects too!”

The Village of Mary Mavecville will be on display at the Euclid City Hall Rotunda in July.

Mary Mavec Opportunity School is located at 21701 Lakeshore Boulevard in Euclid and offers a stimulating, rewarding, and stable workshop environment for adults with developmental disabilities. The school welcomes visitors and currently has a limited number of openings for people who could benefit from the services offered. For information on enrollment, volunteer opportunities or workshop services please call Vicky Geer at (216) 731-4666 or visit the schools website at www.marymavec.org.