Students work on an art project on the first day of classes at the Academy of Technology and Innovation at UMW. The new lab school, located at Mary Washington’s Stafford Campus, welcomed more than 80 students for its inaugural year. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
A peek into Room 225 on the first day of classes at the Academy of Technology and Innovation at UMW (ATI-UMW) reveals just a taste of the learning taking place at the lab school, now kicking off its inaugural year.
Inside, Tyler Limbrick challenged students in his global studies class – which rolls the subjects of English and world history into a single curriculum – to draw the world map in five minutes. “Ready, go!” he said, while starting a timer and the theme song from Mission Impossible.
Down the hall, Spanish teacher Michael Arriaza, who does not use desks in his classroom, had students practice the pronunciation of the word profesor. And science teacher William Schlotter, who worked with the FBI in forensics before shifting to education, led an icebreaker based on the popular Scattergories game.
The new school wraps project-based learning experiences around the idea that mastering technology is increasingly important in the workforce no matter what careers students hope to pursue, from cybersecurity and political science to art, hospitality and fashion. Approved by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) late last year, ATI-UMW welcomed more than 80 ninth-graders – selected via lottery in January – from the City of Fredericksburg, as well as Caroline, King George, Orange and Stafford counties.
“ATI-UMW is really focused on helping students explore the reciprocal relationship between computer and data science applied across content areas,” said Executive Director Rebecca Towery, M.Ed. ’06. “We’re helping kids develop the skills to pursue the careers they’re most interested in.” Read more.