GREENLAND — A team of students at Greenland High School are getting some real-world experience designing energy conservation measures for a renovation project in the works.
At A Glance
EAST
The student competencies associated with the EAST program include:
-Self-directed learning
-Problem-solving strategies
-Collaboration and team work
-Research and evaluation
-Communication
-Technology
-Self-confidence
Source: Staff Report
The teens met with the Greenland School Board earlier this week to talk about the project to renovate a building across from Dee Lee Gymnasium to accommodate the district’s new vocational agriculture program. The program is planned to begin next school year.
“It’s definitely an interesting building to design for a nontraditional classroom,” said Tylor McClanahan, an 18-year-old senior. The building was used for a woodworking shop that was closed last year when the teacher resigned.
McClanahan is one of five students in the EAST Insite Lab at the high school. EAST refers to the Environmental and Spatial Technology program, a self-directed class in which students use state-of-the-art technology to solve real-world problems.
The other students are Tanner Wilson, Brandon Fulton, Jesus Martinez and Greg Boock.
The building poses some challenges, including the need for a loading dock or ramp to get vehicles needing work into the building, McClanahan said. Another concern is the need for a runoff system to collect water from the roof.
The students are working with architect Mark Herrmann, an associate with Polk Stanley Wilcox architects in Fayetteville. Herrmann and the students met with administrators earlier this week to discuss the plans.
“These guys have been out there with tape measures and cameras,” Superintendent Charles Cudney said as he introduced the project to board members.
The next step is to develop and create a schematic design, possibly as early as the January meeting, Herrmann said.
The project will be a teachable moment, but the students also plan to write an entry for the EAST statewide competition in the spring.
The Greenland EAST program, like similar programs, aims to create an education environment focused on self-direction and community service, said John Diesel, facilitator of the Greenland program.
Over the years, EAST students have developed numerous programs, which included a recycling program for the district, a community cleanup, mapping for the community, and the design and building of a bridge across a swale area on campus.