---
title: "Laptops and Textbooks: Out. Skid Loaders and Granite Blocks: In."
date: 2026-11-12T05:30:00-05:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/laptops-and-textbooks-out-skid-loaders-and-granite-blocks-in"
section: Articles
---
# Laptops and Textbooks: Out. Skid Loaders and Granite Blocks: In.

*November 12, 2026* — by [Karen Shih ’09](/author/karen-shih)


> AGNR class transforms Center for Young Children’s eroded hill into usable grassy terrace.

*CYC Playground Construction Center for Young Children on November 4, 2026. Architecture and Engineering students working and installing retaining wall as part of a Do Good grant
Photo by John T. Consoli/University of Maryland
CYC Playground Construction  Center for Young Children on November 4, 2026. by John Consoli
Architecture and Engineering students working and installing retaining wall as part of a Do Good grant — From left, agricultural and resource economics major Jessica Smith ’27 and Institute for Applied Agriculture student Cierra Green place a 95-lb granite block onto a retaining wall at the Center for Young Children. The students are part of an IAA class that is solving an erosion problem by building grassy terraces and a retaining wall, supported by a Do Good Campus Fund grant. (Photos by John T. Consoli)*

Every time it rained, mud flowed down the hill leading to the University of Maryland’s [Center for Young Children (CYC](https://education.umd.edu/research/centers/cyc)), providing an unfun lesson on the power of erosion and gravity. It washed away mulch on the playground and sent a deluge of sludge to the back doors, making the areas unsafe for preschoolers. Director Jennifer Smallwood-Holmes and her staff were forced to sweep and shovel it back rather than spend the time planning lessons or prepping for the school day.

“It was a huge problem,” she said. “We had to close \[the hill\] so often. If it had rained in the last 48 to 72 hours, it would just be a slippery, muddy mess.”

But now, a UMD class is transforming the area, one block at a time. On a sunny November afternoon, a pair of students from the course “Landscape Construction” (INAG251) lugged 95-pound granite bricks for a retaining wall while another checked alignment. Above them on the hill, others scooped dirt to prepare for a massive gravel dump, unloaded by a student atop a skid loader. By the end of the semester, they’ll create a series of terraced, grassy tiers, with central steps leading up to the tire swings at the top of the hill.

“This is not your normal course with packets and projects. We are physical, doing this rain or shine. I told the students, ‘You’re going to get an awesome experience, but I need your attendance and I need your grit,’” said Tom Mazzone, lecturer in the [Institute of Applied Agriculture](https://iaa.umd.edu/home/), a two-year academic certificate program in the [College of Agriculture and Natural Resources](https://agnr.umd.edu/home/) that prepares students to enter the workforce or continue to a four-year degree.

Previous iterations of the course, which covers how to build retaining walls and patios, have been held in his lab in the Animal Sciences Building. Students created scale models and tore them down, all within the four-hour class period. But “it occurred to me there are likely many places on campus that could benefit from the work we are doing,” said Mazzone.


*A skid loader drops gravel into a pit while students look on — A student driving a skid loader dumps gravel into a pit.*



*A man grabs an item from a red toolbox while students dig on a hill behind him — Giles Stanton '28 grabs a tool during "Landscape Construction" class.*




**Sidebar note:**

**Terps Do Good**  
The University of Maryland is the nation's first Do Good campus, committed to inspiring Terps to make a positive impact now through research, public service and education. See more stories about Terps doing good at [today.umd.edu/topic/do-good](http://today.umd.edu/topic/do-good). You can support UMD's Do Good initiatives by making a gift to [*Forward: The University of Maryland Campaign for the Fearless*](https://forward.umd.edu/).





**Topics:** [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community)


**Tags:** [Student Experience](https://today.umd.edu/topic/student-experience)


**Units:** [College of Agriculture and Natural Resources](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-agriculture-and-natural-resources)