Southwest Open School has been awarded three competitive grants that will expand curriculum at the school, according to a press release.
A $4,965 grant from the Kinder Morgan Foundation will allow students to work with photo and design computer software. Starting in fall 2017, the SWOS art room will have new computers with wide-screen monitors and Adobe software including PhotoShop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
The enhancements to the school’s digital art capabilities will have a positive impact on students’ post-secondary workforce readiness, SWOS director Dr. Charlotte Wolf said in the release.
“Proficiency with widely-used software like the Adobe applications will give students an advantage with many employers,” Wolf said.
A $2,500 grant from the Ballantine Family Foundation is funding the completion of the shade house constructed by staff and students last May, as well as other hardscape projects.
The SWOS service class, led by teachers Ed Whritner and Scott Spear, has laid new flagstone on the “floor” of the outdoor classroom, and is building a roof over the cobb oven constructed in the garden last year. When the outdoor kitchen is complete, it will be used by classes across a number of subjects.
The school garden will also see a significant change in the fall thanks to a grant from Lowes’s Toolbox for Education, which supports public schools with small grants. A $3,310 grant will be used to purchase materials for a high tunnel or greenhouse.
During the fall 2017 semester students will build the structure and the raised beds within it.
The structure will allow the school to grow crops throughout the winter months.
“We have wanted to have a lunchtime salad bar for many years. This project will be the first step in getting us to that goal,” said SWOS teacher Casey Simpson.
As part of the long-term vision for promoting the value of service and developing post-secondary workforce readiness skills, Simpson believes the school garden program will continue to grow with the support of students, staff, and community members.
For more information on programs and partnerships at SWOS contact Wolf at 565-1150 ext. 6015.
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