Seneca Valley Intermediate High School students work to spruce up their school's courtyard as part of their Foundations for Success class. The class, taught by Carrie Ehrenberger, focuses on the "six pillars of character," which are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Submitted photo

Ninth-grade students in Carrie Ehrenberger’s Foundations of Success class during the 2021-22 school year found themselves struggling to come up with a 10-hour community service project due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

So they turned their creativity inward and decided to upgrade the neglected and unappealing intermediate high school courtyard, according to a Seneca Valley School District news release.

The class focuses on the “six pillars of character,“ which are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

Since students were unable to volunteer in the community last year due to the pandemic, they decided to work on beautifying their school’s courtyard to create a positive learning environment and provide a place for students to hang out and eat lunch.

The students planned the courtyard’s final look and worked hard to pull weeds, lay landscaping fabric and paint rocks for splashes of color in the green space, the release stated.

The project was funded by a Seneca Valley Foundation grant of $2,700.

“My goal was to help students take ownership in their school and develop pride for their building,” said Ehrenberger. “I may have had a small group of individuals working in the courtyard, but it had a significant effect on the building as a whole.”

Ehrenberger’s students this year can gain volunteer hours by maintaining the courtyard or adding flowers or fall decorations.

In addition to the unique stone “SV” in the courtyard, Ehrenberger hopes to add an oversized chessboard in the space.