Project-Based Learning
Ohio District Builds $52 Million Campus through Partnerships with Local Community, University
Being part of a new campus build can be both exhilarating and exhausting, especially in a pandemic. But being
able to bring our vision to reality and, in the process, create a legacy
in our community may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
After 17 years in education at Oak Hills Schools, a larger
suburban school district in suburban Cincinnati, I was looking
for my next opportunity. I found it five years ago at Berkshire
Local Schools in Burton, Ohio.
Before being selected as the new superintendent, I was intrigued
by their PRIME initiative, which stands for Partnership
for Rural Innovative Models of Education. The more I learned,
the more I wanted to be part of it. PRIME is the name that was
given to an innovative PK–16 approach to education to consolidate
our smaller rural schools into a larger PreK–12 school on the Kent State University – Geauga campus.
The idea was to create more opportunities for our students
while creating a more robust feeder system into the Kent State
University system, the Auburn Career Center for technical
skills, and University Hospitals for a new healthcare track for
high-school students.
It is a natural extension of the education process, allowing
students to explore different career and trade paths. It can also
reduce the overall higher education and training costs for families
since their children can take college credits, learn a trade
in diesel mechanics, and even explore healthcare opportunities
through our programming. It also fits in perfectly with our
project-based learning approach, as we teach our students how
to embrace the concepts they learn in real-world situations.
When we were in the design phase of the school build, these
were all cornerstones of our educational principles.
The idea was to combine the different schools under one
main, new campus building. The school has three wings for
Pre-K/elementary, middle school, and high school, a large central
cafeteria common area, and a new auditorium and multiple
gyms. This approach creates economies of scale for our food
service team, allowing for different lunch schedules, with one
larger kitchen for efficiency.
As part of our project-based learning approach, we also have
an ample maker space used by multiple grades, a diesel mechanics
area and new classrooms and labs. Backed by research, project-based learning deepens students’ understanding of key concepts
by giving them real-world projects to apply what they’re
learning academically. This helps build the soft skills employers
are seeking, including collaboration, communication, and critical-thinking skills.
The other unique aspect of our campus is our immersive themed areas. One of our key design
partners, Inventionland Education, designed
and constructed several of our
age-appropriate areas.
We first learned about Inventionland
Education during a tour of their
facilities with faculty and staff.
On our way back, we discussed
how it would be groundbreaking
to have their style of immersive
spaces as part of our new campus.
They’re one of the most
significant invention factories in
America.
The areas that Inventionland
developed include a kindergarten
cabin area, 1st and
2nd-grade castle, a treehouse
space for our 3rd and 4th graders, a pirate
ship for 5th and 6th-grade students,
a robot space for middle schoolers, as
well as unique maker spaces for our highschool
students. In my opinion, these
unique spaces help foster creativity while
working perfectly with our project-based
learning approach.
Our new auditorium can seat up to
620 people and will be the centerpiece
for large gatherings, concerts, and student
performances.
What we’re most proud of is the way our
community came together to build this new
state-of-the-art campus. Because being in
a smaller rural community that covers 118
square miles certainly has its challenges.
As we know, there is not a single solution
for students and their families as
they go through the educational system. We are committed to providing students
with opportunities for the future. This
includes earning a living wage, having
opportunities for advancement, and having
access to healthcare as our students
begin their next stage of life.
We believe that the future is different
for everyone. We want to provide the foundation
for success, however it’s defined. Every
student should have options, whether
it’s going to college, learning a trade, joining
the military, or exploring business and
entrepreneurial opportunities.
Another aspect of the new build is
the advantage our students will have by
taking some of the advanced learning
options. This includes students enrolled
in our College Credit Plus classes (taught
by KSU instructors on their campus or
ours), allowing high school students
to graduate with an Associate Degree.
Students can also explore the healthcare
field with our nursing program through
University Hospitals or begin to learn a
trade, such as diesel mechanics on our
campus, or through the many programs
offered at the Auburn Career Center.
This comprehensive partnership was
made possible by the entire community
working together. This includes the 99-year ground lease from Kent State University,
as well as our local community,
which voted overwhelmingly for the new
school bond. Other partners include University
Hospitals, Auburn Career Center,
the Geauga Growth Partnership, the
KeyBank Foundation, Envision Education,
Inventionland Education, the Buck Institute
for Education, and the Ohio Facilities
and Construction Commission. Regarding
costs, a little over half was paid for by the
Ohio Facilities and Construction Commission,
with the rest of the funding coming
from the school bond proceeds, community
partners, and Berkshire Local Schools.
We were also fortunate to receive a
$2-million donation from Great Lakes
Cheese, a premier manufacturer and
packager of cheese, for our new athletic
facilities.
This partnership should pay big dividends
for the entire community moving
forward. Students will benefit from the
modern campus, with the ability to get
a jumpstart on college, learn a trade or
enter the healthcare arena.
The community will benefit from
graduates who are well prepared to excel
in today’s job market, and more robust
real estate values from improved school
rankings. In addition, Kent State University
gains a local and consistent source
for higher education students. I said this
from the onset: This is a vast “win-win”
for everyone involved. With
access to additional trade job
opportunities, students have
another option to make the
American Dream a reality.
Although delayed from construction
supply chain issues
throughout the pandemic, the
school will open in August
2022. School and community
leaders will celebrate with
a ribbon-cutting ceremony on
August 9th at 6 p.m., and the
public is welcome to attend. There will
also be a livestream of the event.
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2022 issue of Spaces4Learning.