High Point students learn art of concrete

WANTAGE — High Point Regional High School hosted local decorative concrete artisan, Tito Marrero of RiverCast Concrete, to teach them how to fabricate concrete countertops to their senior shop class.
"Having Mr. Marrero come in and show students the process was beneficial, but talking about experiences and technique was the most impactful for the students to hear,” states Technological Studies teacher, Alex Gonzalez. “Some of the best things that are taught and learned do not always happen in the classroom. Experiences rather than formal lessons can have the most impact on students."
The students will be competing in the upcoming 2019 Annual Decorative Concrete Competition hosted by New Jersey Institute of Technology. The competition, open to all New Jersey students in high school, community college, and NJIT, is a do-it-yourself (DIY) project using one bag or less of any concrete mix.
"We were honored to have Mr. Marrero working with our Construction and Manufacturing Students and sharing his expertise,” states High Point Regional High School Principal, Jon Tallamy. “The students learned real-world practical skills that they could apply in the concrete competition and their future endeavors. We appreciate the community partnerships that our teachers continue to foster and build as they are a strong educational component in the success of our students."
Marrero owns RiverCast Concrete, a decorative concrete company in Branchville, NJ, specializing in concrete countertops and stamped concrete designs. He has over 15 years of decorative concrete experience and was trained at the Concrete Countertop Institute.
“I was excited to be able to teach a class about concrete countertops to the students at High Point High School,” states Marrero. He continues, “The students were so eager to learn and very hands on. I think they are going to create some amazing concrete pieces.”
For more information on decorative concrete visit: www.rivercastconcrete.com