Liberty Tech Charter School Principal Mike Stewart, left, accepts a $25,000 grant check from Coweta-Fayette EMC board member and Brooks Mayor Dan Langford. Photo/Submitted.
The doors of Liberty Tech in Brooks recently opened for the public charter school’s first year. The school has already received two grants designed to enhance creative learning, according to Liberty Tech founder Christi McCully.
Coweta-Fayette EMC’s grant program recently awarded Liberty Tech a check for $25,000 to purchase additional Chromebooks and technology for the school, McCully said.
“We are thrilled about the news that we are recipients of the Coweta-Fayette EMC grant,” said Liberty Tech Principal Mike Stewart. “It is fantastic to know that we have the support of such a strong community partner. A grant of this magnitude opens so many doors of opportunity for our students.”
In addition, said McCully, the school received a $10,000 planning grant from the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) for Innovation in Applied Learning. Of the several hundred applicants, 18 awards were made.
“Liberty Tech’s grant entitled ‘Every Student, Every Day’ requested funding for the school staff to learn more about the Maker movement, a key element of the school. Makerspaces provide hands-on, creative ways to encourage students to design, experiment, build, and invent as they deeply engage in science, technology, engineering, and the arts,” McCully explained.
“A cross between a science lab, art studio and shop, Makerspaces give students the opportunity for the theory they learn in the classroom to become real and relevant while learning skills such as 3D modeling, project management, programming, collaboration, and how to operate technology such as 3D printers, CNC Routers, soldering and more,” McCully said.
Makerspaces represent the democratization of design, engineering, fabrication and education. They are a fairly new phenomenon, but are beginning to produce projects with significant national impacts, according to wwww.spaces.makerspace.com.
McCully said the space at Liberty Tech is not relegated to a single room, because the school plans to integrate it throughout the building for all students. The charter school intends to take “making” a step further by partnering with local groups to use the skills students are learning and apply them to real projects in the community to solve real problems.
“At most schools, these types of engaging activities are reserved for the top 20 percent, and yet all students benefit from this type of education. At Liberty Tech, 100 percent of the student body will have these opportunities,” said board President Joe Starr. “Liberty Tech intends to combine the technology so graciously awarded by Coweta-Fayette EMC and the funding awarded through the planning grant to design what the Maker environment will look like in 2017 and then put it into action.”
Stewart said it is exciting to think about the impact that the GOSA grant can have for the school community at Liberty Tech.
“The addition of a Makerspace to our facility can really take our hands-on learning approach to another level. I can’t wait to watch the students working in that element of learning,”Stewart said.
McCully said Liberty Tech is partnering with the local Peachtree City Makerspace, Creative Fuel, and other schools throughout the state with established Maker Spaces to plan what the environment will look like at their school in Brooks.
Being the recipient of the planning grant makes Liberty Tech eligible to apply for the $750,000 GOSA Innovation Grant to be awarded in 2017, said McCully.
