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Anyone wanting to enjoy the use of a sled in Hills or Beaver Creek won’t have to look far, thanks to the eighth-graders at Hills-Beaver Creek Secondary School.
Two Little Free Sled libraries are now available for use in each community.
Similar to a Little Free Library, where books are available to borrow and placed back when read, the Little Free Sled Library allows anyone to borrow a sled, use it, and place it back into the holder for someone else to use.
Middle school teacher Randi Oftedahl watched a news story about the sled libraries in Minneapolis.
“I got to thinking how awesome it would be if the sled libraries started popping up in our area,” she said.
Her 20 eighth-graders embraced the idea.
With the design help of industrial arts teacher Chris Louwagie, two square storage areas or corrals were constructed using 2-by-4s.
“The students built the sled corrals from recycled wood that used to be part of the aquaponics project at school,” Oftedahl said.
Students painted the corrals black to easily be seen in the snow.
Handprinted signs read “Have fun! Return when done.”
District buildings supervisor Dalton Bass delivered the corrals to the final destinations last week.
One sled library is located near the H-BC football field in Hills, and the other was placed at the corner of Second Avenue and Fifth Street near the west entry to the SpringBrooke Golf Course in Beaver Creek.
Each corral holds several plastic sleds.
“A few families contacted me to donate their used sleds. The student council purchased two sleds, and we had six sleds donated by residents of Luverne and Hills,” Oftedahl said. “My hope is that everyone will treat it with respect, use the sleds, have fun and return when done.”
Eighth-graders involved in the Little Sled Library project include Brynn Bakken, Olivia Deelstra, Karl Hartz, Hunter Leenderts, Karlee Olson, Reagan Spath, Lilith Golden, Camden Broesder, Ed Duncan, Mackenzie Hellerud, Carie Merson, Ava Rainford, Ava Steinhoff, Taty Williams, Katelyn Chesley, Jed Eagerness, Brooklyn Hubbard, Hailey Moser, Riggins Rheault and Tryg Tollefson.
The libraries are not the first community service project Oftedahl’s students have completed.
“In my 30 years of teaching, I have realized that there is quite a bit of learning that can take place outside of the classroom and (when they) give back,” she said.
“In order to accomplish this, I have implemented community service projects into my lesson plans each month.”
Most projects are not seen by the public. For example, students made May Day baskets for Tuff Home residents, they made T-shirt bags and collected picture books for the kindergartners, they decorated the Legion Hall for the Memorial Day program, and they scraped and painted the dugouts and concession stands at the Hills ballpark.
Oftedahl said as the students take pride in the communities, they are also taking pride in themselves for a job well done.
“The students are very proud to point out that they were the ones to complete those projects when they were at baseball practice or softball games,” she said.