The story originally published in the Rapid City Journal on May 7, 2012, written by David Montgomery. Original story may be found here.

Local youth gained important career skills, and helped fix up a Black Hills landmark over the past two weeks.

Old buildings at the Black Hills Playhouse on Custer State Park now have new roofs and walls. It’s the result of a partnership between the Playhouse and the Boxelder Job Corps program that both sides say they want to continue.

“This is a really cool partnership because it provides training opportunities for the kids,” said Linda Anderson, executive director of the Playhouse.

The Job Corps program, run by the U.S. Department of Labor, provides career and academic training for people between ages 16 and 24. There are more than 200 students at the Boxelder Job Corps site in Nemo, many of whom spent the past two weeks living and working at the Playhouse.

“They get to be outdoors. They get to do work in their respective fields. They have to take on the challenges of the real work experience,” said Mike Fellner, who is a mental health consultant for the local Job Corps and also sits on the Playhouse board.

Playhouse donors raised the money for the project’s supplies. Job Corps, in return, provided free labor.

Over two weeks, while living on the Playhouse grounds, the Job Corps workers re-sided the Playhouse’s set-building shop, re-roofed three dorms and re-sanded and re-sealed picnic structures. People in the Job Corps’ culinary arts program also lived on campus and cooked for the workers.

“It’s just beautiful,” Anderson said of the finished work. “The work is just top-notch. It’s really impressive.”

The Job Corps members worked under professional supervisors, who oversaw their work, provided tips and made sure everyone used proper tools and safety equipment. Those supervisors also helped plan the project.

“They sent their supervisors out to look at all the different kinds of maintenance projects, and then they matched those up to potential educational experiences for the kids,” Anderson said.

Fellner, with his connections to both the Playhouse and the Job Corps, suggested the partnership last year to the Playhouse board.

Anderson took the offer to Job Corps, and found them “immediately” receptive.

“It was amazing,” she said.

In addition to raising money for supplies, the Playhouse also rearranged its schedule and opened a month early to facilitate the work.

Fellner said the partnership was a great match.

“They’re looking for opportunities to utilize their students in real situations, so they can learn their trade,” he said.

Job Corps students will get more out of the partnership with the Playhouse than just two weeks of experience. They also have been given season tickets to the Playhouse’s summer season of plays, which includes shows such as “Godspell,” “The Three Musketeers” and “Run For Your Wife.”

“That’s important to the Job Corps students, partly because we’re trying to make a concerted effort there for them to develop their own creativity, not just learn the trade,” Fellner said. “I think it’s really important for them to see how other people utilize their creative talents and efforts in front of an audience.”