Building STEMs from hopes of college preparation

EAST COUNTY — The Out-of-Door Academy’s Head of School David Mahler could barely stand still or suppress a smile.

He looked at Director of Communications Shannon Drosky for the OK to his begin his presentation and asked, “Can we start, yet?” more than once as he stood at the podium in the school’s media center. He couldn’t wait to share plans of the East County school’s newest projects.

Mahler’s excitement resulted from a $5 million energy efficient, high-tech building that will house two hubs for students — the Dick Vitale Family Student Center and Dart Foundation STEM Center. ODA officially broke ground on the site Aug. 28 behind the middle school buildings. Willis A. Smith will construct the facility.

“I’m a vision guy,” Mahler said. “The inspiration for these transformational new facilities comes from a shared vision for the future of teaching and learning at The Out-of-Door Academy.”

Mahler anticipates a fall 2015 opening date for both facilities.

In May, ODA’s Board of Trustees approved plans for the college-inspired center. Members wanted a building that reflected a sophisticated, collegiate atmosphere with up-to-date technology and spatial freedom for students to work alone or in groups.

To the trustees and the project’s other organizers, the addition is another step in the school’s overall goal of college preparation. The education officials want students to start thinking about their futures with the proper tools to help them.

“This gives our students a competitive advantage as they transition to a college campus,” Mahler said.

The student center, named after lead donors the Vitale family, consists of the lower portion of the building and occupies approximately 9,000-square-feet of the facility. Mahler hopes middle and high school students will fully utilize the 900-square-foot Tech Center and the Cyber Café, which will have food and drinks available to students throughout the school day.

To Vitale, whose five grandchildren all attended ODA, the building means much more than a place for teens and almost-teenagers to socialize and eat snacks.

“It brings joy to my heart, and to my family’s, to be able to help provide a special place for students to collaborate, learn and explore their passions,” Vitale said.

The building’s upstairs portion features the 11,000-square-foot Dart Foundation STEM (science, technology, education and math) Center.

The STEM center will feature touch-screen technology, science and math classrooms and a Creativity and Design Lab Mahler hopes will foster creative thinking in the classroom.

Each science lab will have direct connection to a 2,000-square-foot STEM Project Lab, which will feature computers and other technology.

Arian Dart, of the Dart Foundation, views the STEM center as a reminder of the opportunities that education provides.

“The STEM facilities better prepare students for competing on the world’s stage throughout their lives,” Dart said.

Middle school receives upgrades
The Out-of-Door Academy’s middle school provides learning spaces for grade levels of students often overlooked throughout their education career, according to ODA’s Head of School Dave Mahler.

Elementary school-aged children are just starting their journey and are nurtured, while high school students, Mahler said, are prepared for college. Middle school students are sometimes lost in that translation, according to Mahler.

Over the summer, ODA emphasized the importance of its middle school students while also preparing them for high school, by swapping cubbies for lockers and individual desks for tables.

New projector system technology and other renovations collectively cost about $300,000.

The new technology helps transition the chalkboard-style classroom of the past to the touch-screen interactive classroom of today, Mahler said.

“We wanted to show that age group of students that they are in an important stage in their lives,” Mahler said. “ODA stresses working together and using technology to achieve goals.”

Eco-friendly aspects
The facility will have the ability to convert to alternative energy, such as solar and wind. The building materials will be certified as energy efficient and recycled materials will be used whenever possible.

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].