Whether seeking the energy of youth or the wisdom of a lifetime of experiences, Riverland Community College will soon provide students the backdrop for that journey.

The small courtyards, previously known by students only through windows from the hallways, are being renovated with four related themes in mind and opened to students and faculty.

"We're trying to take a person's view through life from a very young stage, to an awakening stage, to the educational stage, to the wisdom of an all-encompassing view of the world," said Marty Shepard, dean of academic affairs at Riverland.

While wisdom is listed as the last stage in life, it is the first stage of renovation for the college. Shepard hopes the fourth view will be finished by the end of this school year.

Wisdom is represented by a Zen theme, with a pagoda, arranged rocks, rusted steel art and a small, unassuming table and set of stools.

So far, almost all of the work has been done in-house, nothing has been contracted out, but for future themes, the school may need to bring in some materials and labor.

The construction for the table and chairs is almost finished in the carpentry department, and industrial mechanics students at the Albert Lea campus are working on the steel art. Rocks have been donated by a faculty member who owns a farm, and extra costs and labor will be covered by donations and members of the committee working on the project as well as volunteers.

"The sweat and labor will be from the committee and everyone else we pull in to help us," Shepard said. "It's staff, it's community, it's students."

Carpentry instructor Tom Wilker said this kind of work is typical of his students.

"Not only with the school, but community service in general is what I try to emphasize," he said. "Showing skills that not everybody has and volunteering those skills to a cause that's going to be there a number of years is always something to (the students)."

Derek Berndt, a carpentry student at Riverland, said the work was done in students' spare time. He said it has been a "whole class kind of thing."

The awakening stage has been planned and some of the work is being done right now. The target time for finishing that courtyard is next fall.

The means to achieving the awakening effect is through a native theme. Grasses and plants native to the area and steel shaped into animals like wolves and quail will spread across the area. A giant steel sun will hang on one wall.

The other two views, youth and education, are still in the preliminary stages and no theme has been agreed on yet.

Money for the project has come from the Riverland Foundation. Shepard said donations to the foundation can be earmarked for the project. They are also seeking a $500 grant to help with expenses.

Matt Merritt can be reached at 434-2214 or by email at matt.merritt@austindailyherald.com