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This was featured in MASA Leader Magazine

LAPEER, Michigan – On a cold Thursday night in February, a once-skeptical community came together to see what all the fuss was about. For most, it was the first opportunity to see a reimagined shared community space devoted to new methods of instruction, collaboration and development of 21st century skills. We call it the Center for Innovation; they call it the “old West.”

This is the story of how the ‘old West’ was made new again.

Project-based Instruction

The Media Center at the former Lapeer West High School, now the District’s Center for Innovation (CFI), has become a catchall compartment for project-based learning, computer science and, on this day, a makeshift driving range.

Senior Austin Bozun is taking full advantage of the opportunities the recent merger of Lapeer East and West High Schools has provided him. He participates in the L-12 Capstone program for seniors at CFI, a two-hour multi-disciplinary block that brings together English, Math, Science and Technology in a way that appeals to a wide variety of students.

Austin, dressed for success, sits down in front of two computers and an iPad, explains away the reams of digital data his group collected on the correlation (or lack thereof) between the elasticity of golf balls and how far they travel off the club face.

To test their hypothesis, his group built something medieval; picture a miniature Titleist trebuchet. Their creation was spring-loaded to maintain a consistent amount of force for each swing of the club. It was fitted with special sensors to measure ball speed and launch angle. The goal of the project was not simply to hypothesize and conclude, but to read, write and ultimately present findings. (If you’re curious, the more elastic balls did not travel farther off the club face).

Melissa Campbell, an instructor in the Capstone program, said the emphasis on collaboration mimics the real world, where there aren’t many Mulligans.

“For students, either you like the topic or you don’t; either you like who you work with or you don’t.” Campbell said. “This is real life and can make or break your attitude about anything.”

Rebirth

Innovative programs like Capstone surround students like Austin, around every corner, and offer substance to learners at all levels.

CFI is home to our Project Lead the Way (PLTW) program, the nation’s leading Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) curriculum. (PLTW students recently built a Rube Goldberg Machine that was over 200 feet long.) Head west up the ramp and down the hall you’ll find the humble abode of our two state champion middle-level robotics teams. The students are prepping their bots for nationals and doing a little show and tell for parents.

Across the hall is an old art room that has been transformed to accommodate a local community of young musicians called Third Degree Burns. From the opposite end of the building, where our high school robotics teams hang out, you can barely make out the words to “Final Countdown” and a few other classics their parents loved first.

On the short walk to our College on Campus program, you find Ombudsmen, a research-based alternative education program, as well as the District’s virtual learning and standardized testing centers. (Speaking of a walk, CFI is also the home of the District’s Senior Walking Program.)

College on Campus, perhaps the most popular program of all, is a partnership with four colleges and universities that allows students to take college-level coursework, with professors on site, without having to leave Lapeer. Students can receive $5,000 worth of college credits for around $500. Because of the District’s campus structure, transfer buses between buildings are provided at no cost to students.

CFI Director Matt Olson says opportunities for innovation abound in the facility, in large part, because students and staff have the flexibility to use non-traditional means to reach diverse groups of learners.

“Our superintendent has given us the freedom to be a true research and development center for the District,” he said. “Each program has its own approach. To see all these ideas and innovations, borne of ideas from our staff, students, and community, come to fruition is nothing short of inspiring.”

Innovate. Synergize.

Lapeer Community Schools Superintendent Matt Wandrie had a big idea and a building just big enough to hold it. Since the cost-savings involved in the 2014-15 high school consolidation were not tied up in operations, he never considered shuttering the 1960s-era facility.

“We looked at it as an opportunity to bring an assortment of district and community-based programs together under one roof,” said Wandrie, now in his fourth year in the District. “You would be amazed at how seemingly divergent disciplines can compliment each other, creating outcomes that are positive for all students. And we’re just getting started.”

What he has describes is synergy, a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Olson sees evidence of it every day.

“(Synergy) is a powerful force that brings great educational minds together in one place,” Olson said. “Even though we represent different levels, schools, and subjects, we have developed an excellent building culture all our own.  It’s amazing the ideas a middle school science teacher can bring to a high school alternative classroom, or a
college professor can bring to a senior capstone program. There’s no limit to it.”

In the future, there are plans to expand offerings to include training in specific in-demand trades. Thanks to an investment from Baker College, one of our College on Campus partners, the old metal shop will soon make room for a shiny new CNC milling machine for metal fabrication.

“Historically, public education has been slow to change, slow to recognize trends and adapt; we can’t wait around for change to come to us,” Wandrie said. “We fundamentally believe that students deserve to be treated as individuals, with unique needs and goals.

“The one-size-fits-all approach is no longer welcome here.”