Local preschoolers building dog houses for shelter dogs

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Michelle Maher will tell you that it's never too early to start building a future.

She's the preschool teacher at Duncan Polytechnical High School. The Fresno school on Garland Avenue features a building for preschoolers, where Maher teaches.

"We're really lucky as far as utilizing all of the resources the high school gets, and that's kind of how all of this evolved," Maher said. She's referring to her classes current project: building dog houses for local shelter dogs.

"Every six weeks we have a new study, and this one happened to be buildings," she said.

The class, which features fifteen students in a morning session and fifteen others in the afternoon, has built two doghouses: one pink, one green. With the help of adult supervisors, the students planned, built and painted the doghouses. Once they're finished, Maher says they'll be donated to the Animal Rescue of Fresno for families taking home rescue dogs, saying it would go "to someone who has a huge heart in adopting one of these rescue animals."

Maher stressed the importance of hands-on activities for her students, and believes what they learn now will aid them going forward, both in future curriculum and eventual career choices.