Tag: innovation

We are so proud to welcome back our 4th annual Clairbourn Early Learning STEM event — the STEM Regatta! STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. A STEM project like the Clairbourn Regatta blends elements of those subjects in order to introduce our youngest students to the idea of design thinking and the tools they are going to need in order to be successful in the world and workplace of their future.

In a world that is becoming increasingly complex, where success is driven not only by what you know, but by what you can do with what you know, we know it is more important than ever for our young students to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to solve problems, gather and evaluate evidence, make sense of information, collaborate on projects, and think critically. By introducing these concepts early and at a level our youngest Cougars can understand, we believe we are giving them the chance to become creators, thinkers, problem solvers, doers, innovators and inventors – not to mention highly successful students.

Parents from JPK to K came to campus to observe how our youngest Cougars were challenged with a design problem and how they came up with their creative solutions. The teachers and the students were so excited to share what they were learning. Our STEM event was designed to establish problem solving and critical thinking skills. Children were engaged in structural, mechanical, architectural, and civil engineering ideas. At Clairbourn, we believe in Creating Scholars and Leaders with Heart, and it starts with our youngest students!

We live in a world that changes rapidly and presents new challenges with no known solutions. We all saw this with the global pandemic. We were all thrust into a situation where we had to adjust our lives with no roadmap. It is certain that our students will face challenges in their future where no directions are provided. It is important for students to create, problem solve real world issues, code, design, question, research with discernment, and communicate in a variety of ways with skill. It is no longer enough for students to follow set instructions to achieve a specified goal. Rather, with the skills to critically think and the confidence in themselves, students are able to face and solve unpredicted challenges.

With the generous support from several Clairbourn families, the Liu-Peng Innovation Lab is now open. It was built during the summer and in order to redesign and modernize the space, we removed walls and posts creating a productive functional space. We also provided efficient HVAC and additional storage for the student tools and projects. We performed an electrical upgrade to ensure proper ventilation for new equipment. Finally, the exterior was modified to allow for direct access to the space. A ramp and new landscaping were added for the finishing touches! The Liu-Peng Innovation Lab, located in the Robert W. Nafie Building, contains robotics parts, tools, programing software, 3D printers, a laser cutter, Cricut machines, a vacuum former, workbenches, green screen abilities, and lots of supplies for creative problem solving!

Students practice a way of thinking and learning that is specifically designed for new challenges that need new solutions. The mindset where we embrace a process is called Design Thinking.  The process is non-linear but takes the thinker through a process that includes empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping, and testing. In this process each conversation gives us perspective, each trial helps to improve, each prototype gets us closer to a solution, each “failure” gives important information, and each bit of feedback is crucial. Our students are going to get specific practice at design thinking. They will learn to work together in new ways and to build on each other’s ideas. As we walk through the lab, we can’t help but feel excited for the countless opportunities our students will have to explore, grow and expand their problem solving mindset!

Special thank you to all our generous donors. Mr. Alex Liu and Ms. Angela Peng were our lead donors, providing over half of the funding needed for this project. Mr. Jun Lu, Mr. Oscar Duan and Ms. Kelly Ling, and Ms. Fiona Zhang all made significant contributions to fund the other half of the project. These generous donors all shared our vision of a new space to support student growth. They see the potential in investing in our students to support problem solving and creative thinking needed in our ever-changing world. We are very grateful for their support, leadership, and generosity extended to our students and our school. We have much to look forward to!