Bathurst education: Scots All Saints College to build innovation centre | Western Advocate
Bathurst education: Scots All Saints College to build innovation centre
THE federal government has kicked in $700,000 towards a new technology centre to be built on the junior and middle school campus of Bathurst’s Scots All Saints College.
The $3 million project – with extra money to come from the All Saints’ Foundation and Scots All Saints council – will see six glass-fronted learning laboratories built around a central outdoor learning space and adjoining a parkland area with play equipment, outdoor seating and an amphitheatre.
The federal government funding has been made available through the Capital Grants Program, which provides funding for non-government schools to improve capital infrastructure.
ALSO MAKING NEWS:
Calare MP Andrew Gee said the new centre would “add to the strong momentum that’s been building under head of college John Weeks”.
“Scots All Saints College has a wonderful school community, and the new facilities will further enhance the learning environment,” Mr Gee said.
“Students and teachers thrive when their schools have modern and up-to-date facilities.”
Students and teachers thrive when their schools have modern and up-to-date facilities.
Head of All Saints’ campus Chris Jackman said the technology centre, which will replace a number of 40-year-old demountable buildings, would be the first of its kind in regional NSW.
“The focus will be on the future and our future learners,” Mr Jackman said.
“We’re going to have six learning labs which are multi-disciplinary and will bring together science, technology, engineering and maths, and even some art, into some meaningful projects where the students work collaboratively together with the goal of producing something of meaning to them.”
The Scots All Saints College innovation centre …
Mr Jackman said all students on the All Saints’ campus, ranging in age from pre-kindergarten to Year 8, would have access to the STEM centre with projects tailored to suit their age.
“Certainly in the middle school the use of … all the modern technologies will be put into place and integrated into something tpengage the students at a time when adolescents are sometimes challenged with school.”
Construction of the STEM centre will start soon and the school hopes to be using the labs by the end of next year.