When I was in high school, I was printing pictures in a darkroom and carving wooden spoons by hand. Today, students of Lake View High School (LVHS) are accomplishing the same, and even greater, results with more innovative technologies and fewer hand nicks. On June 14, LVHS unlocked the door to their new Innovation Lab, a DIY workshop where students assemble to create, invent, learn and make their visions come to life. Students, faculty, friends, family and partners gathered to experience the Lab for the first time following a ribbon cutting ceremony performed by an LVHS Senior, Principal PJ Karafiol and Assistant Principal Tyrese Graham.
LVHS Wildcats are among four other CPS Early College STEM Schools in Chicago. Their mission, which involves heavy emphasis on innovation through Computer Science, Design Thinking and Project-Based learning programs, emanates as you enter the Innovation Lab. The Lab includes Microsoft Surface Studios, HoloLenses, 3-D Printing Machines and more, all of which will equip students with fundamental and advanced technological skills for the future. Introducing these technologies at an earlier age will better prepare these students for college and later employment opportunities.
The Innovation Lab, many months in the making, is truly a remarkable opportunity for student development and innovation. LVHS students, empowered through modern technology and with resources to develop new skills, will be positioned to thrive in today’s world and beyond. As a proud partner with LVHS, Microsoft is thrilled to support the school’s ever-growing STEM and Computer Science initiatives, as well as their brand-new Innovation Lab.