Seventeen Los Alamos Middle Students Build Accessibility Ramps for Mesa-to-Mesa

Seventeen Los Alamos Middle School students from Dr. Brent Collom’s Advanced Engineering classes completed a service project with Mesa-to-Mesa on Feb. 25, 2026, building several accessibility ramps at Mesa-to-Mesa’s shop in Española, according to a LAPS news release republished by the Los Alamos Reporter. The district described the work as a hands-on classroom activity tied to community service.

The LAPS news release said the activity “brought together hands-on, project-based, and service learning” as students applied engineering and math principles in a real-world setting. Photographs republished by the Los Alamos Reporter show students lifting the frame of an accessibility ramp they are building for Mesa-to-Mesa; the photo captions are credited “Photo Courtesy LAPS.”

Mesa-to-Mesa’s John Bulthuis emphasized the direct impact of the work. Mesa-to-Mesa’s John Bulthuis said, “These services are important for allowing elders to remain in their own homes as well as for those with disabilities.” The LAPS release noted students learned at the Española shop about Mesa-to-Mesa’s mission of providing accessibility ramps and doing minor home repairs.

Los Alamos Public Schools framed the project as aligned with district goals. The Los Alamos Reporter reproduced LAPS language that “This service project is closely aligned with the Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS) mission to provide a high-quality education that prepares all students for success.” The district added that “The Mesa-to-Mesa project embodies the core values of LAPS by integrating rigorous academic content (engineering and math principles) with practical, real-world application.”

Operational details in the LAPS release underline Mesa-to-Mesa’s nonprofit model. The release states that Mesa-to-Mesa “does not charge for its services; it relies on donations, grants, and volunteers to do the work,” and describes the organization’s focus on accessibility ramps and minor home repairs for community members in need.

The LAPS news release and the Los Alamos Reporter photos do not specify the exact number of ramps beyond “several,” nor do they list installation addresses or the names of ramp recipients. The Los Alamos Daily Post also shared the republished release on its Facebook feed, reflecting local distribution of the story. As presented by LAPS and Mesa-to-Mesa, the project provided Los Alamos Middle School students with a practical application of classroom engineering that the district says builds technical skills and social responsibility.