CLEVELAND — Students at a Cleveland Metropolitan School District STEM school received a massive upgrade.
What You Need To Know
- The Cleveland Cavaliers and Goodyear unveiled a renovated innovation lab at Orchard STEM School
- The lab is equipped with tools such as green screens, podcast stations and 3D printers
- The staff at Orchard said it will go a long way toward educating and preparing students for the jobs of the future
Fourth-grade student Jovanni Velazquez cut the ribbon with Nic Barlage, the CEO of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and fellow fourth-grade student Mason Daniels showed him the equipment in the new innovation lab.
Both students have big plans and dreams for the future.
“This is a good platform for [the dreams], where they can start and they can finish their journey,” said Daniels.
The opportunities now available were almost too overwhelming for the Orchard STEM staff to discuss at a podium in the school gymnasium.
“This project is more than just updating and beautifying a space in our school,” lead STEM model teacher Catherin Duplisea said before getting emotional. “It’s providing opportunities for all learners at Orchard STEM.”
She said it’s a tremendous resource to open the door for brighter futures.
“Our students in the Cleveland Metro Schools, many face levels of poverty that the rest of the world doesn’t really understand, and for our kids to be able to gain skills in possible careers that don’t even exist and gain skills in the technology field where there’s huge needs and huge salaries, I just see the future for our kids being so bright,” said Duplisea.
Partnerships with CMSD, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Goodyear made the lab possible.
“To be able to see kids’ eyes light up when you think about things like coding and 3D printing and potentially being able to produce their own podcast or create their own app or create their own video,” said Barlage. “Those are things that are going to set them up for the next generation of growth.”
Teachers like Duplisea hope this is just the beginning of making dreams a reality.
“I’m really excited to see them when they’re young adults being in happy, successful lives and hopefully this is going to foster that in our students,” said Duplisea.
