HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Students at Columbia High School now have a state-of-the-art innovation center at their fingertips.
School officials cut the ribbon on the school’s new innovation center, a $4 million project that transformed the school’s property.
The center includes two podcast studios, a makerspace, two conference rooms, a cafe and spaces for collaboration.
Columbia’s principal, Thomas Jones, said students now have an advantage that other city schools can’t offer.
“Our students are involved with a lot of entrepreneurship ideas. They just haven’t been able to develop them,” Jones said. “We are in a situation now with our community partnership with the community from the district to develop those ideas and get them on a solid foundation to allow them to be successful.”
Jones said the ideas for the space came from students and allow teachers to meet the students where they are and have a greater impact.
Each space will give students unique opportunities like launching their own business, multimedia storytelling and hosting workshops to get their work in front of the community.
“When they want something and need to know, they are more engaged, so you kind of engage them that way,” Jones said. “On the back end, you get to learn a little algebra 2 at the same time. So it’s meeting their needs where they are and leading them to where they need to go.”
The students have already begun using the podcast studio, with their first guest being Huntsville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Clarence Sutton.
Jones said it gives him a special feeling to find new ways to help students be successful.
“You are meeting the students’ needs to be successful,” Jones said. “It gives you a soft spot in your heart whenever those things happen.”
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