By Emily Wood
 
July 23, 2009
 
MEDFORD, Ore. - Southern Oregon high school students are working to improve camp sites at Willow Lake, work that the county hopes will bring more tourism to Jackson County.
 
The six high schoolers are building two new yurts at the lake. The yurts will be the first in Jackson County.
 
Their work is part of an eight-week program called Construction Academy. On Thursday the students poured and leveled concrete for one of the parking pads for a handicap accessible yurt.
 
"The money is nice but I want to be an architect when I grow up, so this gives lots of experience and it really helps to see what goes into making a building," North Medford Senior Tom Beech said.
 
"When I get a permanent job I want to have something in this field, doing some kind of contracting or construction, so I found that this would be a good way to find those kinds of trades and skills," South Medford Senior Kelly Schultz said.
 
The student have about three weeks to finish the project.