Computer Museum of America (CMoA) is grateful for volunteers that help with the behind the scenes work in addition to guiding visitors through the exhibits. Recently, we formed a relationship with Eaton Academy, a Roswell-based private school. Grey Eaton, an instructor at the school, leads a class in the LEAP Program, on furniture repair for potential future employment and transferable life skills. The LEAP Program is an innovative program designed for individuals who want to benefit from job readiness training, life skill development, and extensive social skill instruction. The goal of this program is to produce independent young adults by helping them improve their job-related, social/emotional, and communications skills.
The students built two pedestals for two artifacts recently added to the exhibits. The pedestals are very professionally made, and the kids were beaming with pride when they dropped them off. Unrelated to exhibits, there is always something needing attention at CMoA. Mr. Eaton and I started talking and I showed him a few things that needed some TLC, and he was excited to take these projects on and use them as real-life experiences in his classes.
The first project was the built-in display cabinets at the museum’s main entrance. They were missing all the shelves and looked so bad they were kept hidden. After seven weeks, the cabinets look brand new and display gift shop merchandise and literature. Working both onsite at CMoA, and in the shop at Eaton Academy, the students took the cabinets apart, repaired and refinished the wood, cut 25 brand new trapezoid shaped shelves, fixed the glass from moving around on the doors, and completely transformed the display cases. While at the museum, the area was treated like a job site and the students experienced loading in materials and tools, setting up, cleaning up, and safety lessons.
CMoA is so grateful for what the students did, and we now proudly show off the cases. We appreciate Mr. Eaton and his students for their contributions and are thrilled to work with Eaton Academy LEAP Program students on a new set of projects.
A video of the project’s progress can be viewed on the CMoA YouTube channel.
About the Author
Elaine Pelaia, CMP
Director of Museum Operations
