OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A group of Omaha high school students will participate in a local chapter of a nationwide mentor program so they can eventually design a new addition for Norris Middle School.
Nearly 80 students from four high schools will meet weekly with professional mentors during the spring semester as part of the Architecture, Construction and Engineering Mentor Program. The mentors come from nearly 30 participating companies in Omaha and will help students work on their design and collaboration skills, the Omaha World-Herald (https://bit.ly/2kKcs8X ) reported.
Norris Middle School is scheduled for a $26.5 million renovation and addition. School officials hope the students in charge of designing the addition will gain exposure and connections to future jobs.
“My goal, by the time we’re done with this, is to have companies begging for them to work there, to do internships,” North’s curriculum specialist John Vinchattle said.
Companies are also looking to develop local talent and provide opportunities for high-poverty communities that are usually shut out of Omaha’s building booms.
The students toured the school last week and will present their designs in May.
“I’m hoping to learn a lot that the teachers can’t teach us, from real-world people,” North High junior Rianna Gunter said.
The middle school is one of the largest in the state, and hasn’t received many updates since its construction in 1959. Mentor program students will need to figure out how to add up to 20 new classrooms to the existing building, find spots for additional parking, design a secure front entry and convert the old auditorium into new administrative offices.
“They’ve (students) been really involved and really excited about it,” architect Sarah Gordon said. “They definitely ask great questions, questions I never would have thought to ask in high school.”
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Information from: Omaha World-Herald, https://www.omaha.com
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