On Tuesday, students in the Edmundite Missions’ after-school program met at the future site of the local group’s community center to a look at real-life applications of mathematics and science.

Students from R.B. Hudson Middle School donned their hard hats and listened to Darryl Steward and Jay Nielsen of Steward Construction talk about the process of knocking down a building and constructing a new one in its place.

“The kids have really enjoyed it,” said Joe O’Quinn, Director of Development for the Edmundite Missions. “The closer you can get to dirt the better.”

The students began getting hands-on lessons in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at the beginning of the school year, but Tuesday was their first opportunity to step foot on a construction site and hear how math and science are applied in the real world.

“It’s been a great relationship,” Nielsen said. “We love being involved with the STEM program – anything to the youth.”

Students had the opportunity to look over blueprints and hear how computer algorithms would be employed to direct contractors on how to construct the new building.

“It’s math from the time we start,” Nielsen told the students.

Nielsen told the students about the topographical maps put together by civil engineers, the process of bringing in and packing soil to ensure the ground is flat where concrete will eventually be laid and showed them a hole in the asphalt where soil tests were done.

Site work for the Edmundite Missions’ new community center is slated to begin next week and residents will begin seeing building pieces go up by May.

The center is slated to open by the end of the year.

“It’s going to be a quick process,” O’Quinn said.