While some ISU classes consist solely of lectures, one College of Agriculture class implements painting, scraping and landscaping as part of its curriculum.

Students in Agriculture Education and Studies 315, Leadership in Agriculture, chose to restore the ISU Dairy Pavilion this semester, along with providing educational material for students who tour the dairy farm, said Amanda Corn, graduate student assistant in charge of the class.

“We decided as a class that we could do something for these kids so they could learn something from these tours,” she said. “There was a need [for the project] because there was no formalized education structure.”

The students in the class believed that simply revamping the pavilion would not be adequate for the leadership experience they were looking for — they also wanted to educate students.

“Basically, when we selected the idea, we decided that just renovating the pavilion wasn’t enough,” said Diana Faidley, senior in agricultural education.

The class, which has about 30 students, then decided to split into four groups to work on the project, Faidley said. They were grouped as education, public relations, pavilion and landscape groups.

The physical work the project entails has taken a lot of time, Corn said. The landscaping and pavilion groups have scraped the building, repainted the entire interior, cleaned up the outside and put trim around the barn, Corn said.

Faidley, who is a member of the education group, said her group’s purpose was “to provide more educational materials for visitors to the farm.”

To reach that goal, the group is working on different projects, she said.

“We are re-doing the bulletin boards and putting together a prop box that shows what all comes from the dairy industry,” Faidley said. “We are also working on materials to put on the Web site.”

As a whole, Corn estimated the class has put in at least 200 to 300 hours of work. The students still attend class and are required to write papers.

“I think they have done a phenomenal job,” Corn said. “It’s been a lot of work, and it takes a lot of time. If someone doesn’t do their part, it doesn’t happen.”

The class has provided the students with excellent leadership opportunities and hands-on experience, Corn said.

“If I was hiring people, I would definitely hire these people who have the experience,” she said.

The dedication for the pavilion is scheduled for April 26.