WONDER LAKE – Free Guitars for Future Stars graduates have the opportunity to build an electric guitar through the program.

The free program will allow students to build a guitar with supervision from Dan Bowman and Roger Lambrechts of Spring Grove-based Guitar Technology Resource. Students will have a chance to select their materials and spend several days on the project.

The Les Paul Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council Agency, through the National Endowment for the Arts, will help fund the project through grants.

“Les Paul was a great musician, innovator and inventor. He had the foresight to put together this foundation before his death. I think he would be pleased to see us share this aspect of the guitar with these children,” said Scott Neumann, executive director of Free Guitars for Future Stars. “It’s not something many guitar players have the opportunity to do. It’s not something I’ve ever done.”

Free Guitars for Future Stars is a nonprofit that has been providing guitars and guitar lessons to children ages 10 to 17 from lower-income McHenry County families since 2009. The organization works with an average of 75 to 100 students annually.

Past students interested in the build can email Neumann at scottn728@comcast.net or call 815-975-7989 for application information. Students will be selected based on several criteria, including a written essay, dedication to the guitar and financial need. Applications will be evaluated by the Free Guitars for Future Stars board. Students must be younger than 18 to be a part of this program.