by Jennifer Weber, The Grande Innovation Academy
Education has surpassed the basic three R’s of Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. In order to prepare students for success in college and their careers, a “whole child” approach needs to be taken. The Grande Innovation Academy has devoted time and resources to develop creative spaces to teach the “whole child” with a growth mindset.
Fostering a culture around technology, our Pre-K through 8th grade charter school is the only school in Arizona with a Situated Multimedia Arts Learning Lab, also known as a SMALLab, fully integrated into the school’s curriculum. The SMALLab is a room-sized 3D interactive environment designed to motivate student interaction and productivity. Students are up and out of their seats learning while collaborating with other students.
The Grande Innovation Academy installed a fabrication laboratory as a platform for project-based, hands-on STEM education. The Fab Lab offers scholars a place to create, tinker, learn, mentor and invent while connecting to a global community of learners, educators and scientists. This creative space includes 3D printers and industrial-grade fabrication tools to encourage research and invention.
Educating the “whole child” means integrating health and wellness, so the Grande Innovation Academy implemented garden and kitchen classes. The GIA garden provides scholars with the opportunity to learn about plants by growing their own. Applying hands-on science and math lessons, scholars chart the process from germinating seeds to the kitchen. In the kitchen, scholars learn how to follow a recipe and the importance of calculating serving sizes.
Because active children have greater attention spans and better academic performance, GIA scholars experience PE every day. By installing a rock climbing wall, GIA has incorporated math and science into fitness. Besides building self-esteem, scholars work on their critical thinking skills as they problem solve the physical puzzle of reaching the top. Scholars also experience art and Spanish to sharpen critical and creative skills.
To find out more about The Grande Innovation Academy, or to enroll, visit GrandeInnovationAcademy.com
