Jackel Development Inc. crews have begun working on the outdoor classroom at McCullough Elementary, and some workers are happy they were hired to help their community.

Though the classroom is different than the high-profile projects the company is used to -- like the hotel at the Meadows gaming complex and a hotel at Chesnut Ridge Golf Club -- the McCullough project hits close to home.

"It was of local interest," says Dave Jackel, owner of Jackel Development. "My kids went to McCullough and my wife was involved with the PTO. I wanted to be able to contribute, especially with a great project like the Boundless Playground."

Rob Cook of Jackel Development feels the same way. A Penn-Trafford alumnus, Cook went to McCullough when it was a middle school.

Though he has since moved from the area, he says it's nice to be back to work on the site.

"I'm enjoying it. It's nice to see my alma mater doing something like this for the kids," Cook says. "It's going to be fancy. We're going to make it nice."

Crews have completed the framing of the pavilion. But Jackel says he wants to make it more than just a pavilion.

"This is going to be utilized for students for outdoor science and art projects," he says. "Everything we're doing is going to be handicap accessible, and we're going to have skylights and natural lights."

"Everything is going to be trimmed and painted. It's going to be nicer than a plain pavilion."

Other plans for the facility include a closet to store materials and white boards. Scott Mickey, project manager and third grade teacher at McCullough, says the classroom eventually will have box gardens for students to plant in.

He says he'd like to have electricity and plumbing added to the facility in the future.

"It's not completely out of the question, but we need some extra funding for that," Mickey says.

The siding and trim will be made of recycled material and environmentally friendly products. The facility will hold 50 students, Jackel says.

McCullough received a $38,500 grant from the nonprofit National Center for Boundless Playgrounds and the Grable Foundation for the project.

Mickey, who received the Teacher Excellence Center grant in 2007 and wrote the grant application for the project, says he wanted take learning from the classroom and implement it to the outdoors.

"My goal has been to have an educational place out on the playground," Mickey says. "I wanted to take learning outside, and give students the opportunity to learn and experiment with an outdoor setting. Kids are more interactive when they're outside."

Cook says working on the project has been a rewarding experience.

"I saw a couple of handicapped children playing on the playground the other day and they were having a really good time," Cook says. "It makes you feel good."

Mickey says he expects the classroom to be ready by next school year.