During their senior year, Alberton students are required to do a “Senior Project”. The project they chose must have a community service component to it and two seniors, Isaac Warren and Gerald Peterson decided to build a small engine shop. Not a small task considering the entire project will cost around $20,000.

“Our goal this year is to raise $10 thousand and pass the project along to the next year’s seniors,” said Warren. They already have some students lined up to take on the task for next year.

The shop will be located next to the football field, which is the school’s property in Alberton and will be approximately 50 by 30 feet in size. It will have a small office, a four-post hydraulic lift and two smaller lifts along with a tool room, work benches and welders.

The vision is to also use the facility for adult education classes along with classes for Alberton students. Once funds are raised, the foundation will be poured by local contractor, Acker Construction. The boys will be doing a variety of fundraising activities during the remainder of the year and hope to break ground before May. Currently they are working on a “GoFundMe” page and in the meantime are accepting donations. People can call either Gerald at (406) 274-4100 or Isaac at (406) 303-0906 or send them to the school.

Another Alberton senior, Francesca Valeriani is raising funds for her project called “Operation Hydration.” Valeriani, who is a foreign exchange student from Italy, is hoping to purchase water bottles for all 140 students at the school.

“It’s important for students to drink water and this will remind them of that,” she said. The bottles will have the Clark Fork Mountain Cat logo on them and she’s hoping to raise $1,000 by the end of the school year.