East meets northwest Arkansas
Posted on Wednesday, June 25, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/rhtn/News/4073/
When students return to the Northwest Arkansas Academy of Fine Arts in early August, they’ll find some new technology waiting for them. Thanks to grants and donations, the charter high school will have an EAST Lab, which is a program that fits perfectly into their philosophy.
EAST stands for environmental and spatial technologies, but teacher Heather Wright, a graduate of another EAST lab school, describes it as a projectbased, service-oriented class.
Every student at NWAAFA will be encouraged to take the class, superintendent Barbara Padgett said. Most students will probably be enrolled for more than one year.
They’ll choose their own projects under Wright’s supervision. Already she’s discussed some projects with students, including a plan to turn an unused playground into an outdoor classroom for the school.
The EAST lab contains the computers and software for a variety of projects, she explained. Students will be able to draw up plans with a CAD (computer-aided drafting ) program, create video and audio recordings, develop Web sites and use GPS technology.
The projects will give the students the chance to develop business skills. They’ll be responsible for all aspects of their projects, which might include fundraising or a city permit process.
“ If you limit kids, they’ll meet those limits and then stop, ” Wright said. She expects some big projects from her students.
Some of the projects may reflect the students ’ interest in the fine arts, Wright said. The EAST lab will include a recording studio, so students will be able to develop their own performance CDs. Others may choose to create a mural. If they choose to donate a mural to the city, their project would include a proposal and samples of their work for the city approval process, she explained.
But other students are talking about projects that don’t have anything to do with the fine arts. A couple of Wright’s students want to build an energy-efficient vehicle, she said.
The charter school has been open for one year, Padgett said, and it’s been a very good year. Test scores have been above average and students have brought back prizes from art and dance competitions. There were two plays that were both successful, she said.
From the beginning, the Benton County Charter School Organization, the school’s founding board, described a “ project-based curriculum” for the charter high school. Students would work at their own pace on projects they helped create, according to the plan.
As a charter school, NWAAFA is a public school but not part of the Rogers School District. While students can choose from many electives in the fine arts, they also complete the same core subjects as any other public school. It’s an open enrollment school with no tuition.
Seventeen students graduated this year. Most of the approximately 170 underclassmen are returning for a second year. There are still some openings for new students and the staff is now accepting applications.
NWAAFA is located 506 W. Poplar St., in downtown Rogers.