Glass lab to prep kids for college
by ARIEL McRAE | Associate Editor
amcrae@hchronicle.net
Humboldt City Schools is always looking for new ways to engage with their students and now Humboldt Jr./Sr. High will soon have a crystal clear path to hit that goal. The glass lab, situated right between the CTE hallway and the board of education will be open this semester for students and parents to use.
The glass lab is exactly as it sounds—a structure made of glass. It will be filled with standing desks, lab tables and smart technology to help students with their courses. The glass lab project came to be from the innovative schools grant HJSHS received over the past year. Some of the money from that grant funded the creation of the lab, but the idea on how to spend the money came from Humboldt City Schools Superintendent Dr. Janice Epperson.
“I got the idea from a glass conference room in Connecticut,” Dr. Epperson stated. “I got to thinking, as much work as we do in this lab kids should be able to use it too.”
Right now, the lab is still currently being filled with furniture. HJSHS art teacher Libby Lynch and her class plan to paint a mural on the wall. The construction of the structure of the lab has been completed. All that is left is to staff it. That is where Terissa Rutherford comes in to teach.
Rutherford is currently the innovative school model coordinator. It will be her job to schedule times for students to utilize the facility. She will also help them with their projects or essays they need to work on within the lab.
The glass lab is an acronym for growing leaders ability to succeed in society and is part of the portrait of a Viking that Dr. Epperson is pushing the students towards this year. The goal is to make Viking students stand out for colleges. This requires a lot of extra steps and ensuring they are ready for the real world.
In the glass lab, students will have the ability to practice job interview skills. They will learn how to dress for success, finding out how to dress for interviews for college and for jobs. Students will also develop resumé writing skills. This will help set them apart from their peers. They will learn how to properly give public speeches and learn how to give a firm handshake to employers as well.
Parents of students can also utilize the facility too. After school hours if a parent wants to schedule a time to work on their resumé and learn how to build a cover letter, the glass lab will be at their disposal. The glass lab is a multifunctional space that will better not only the students but the community as well.
Dr. Epperson said she hopes to have the glass lab up and running by Thanksgiving of this semester. Be on the look out for this wonderful, innovative opportunity.
