Harvard Community Unit School District 50 issued the following announcement on Oct. 10.
What was once a computer lab, is now a modern collaborative workspace thanks to a $90,000 classroom renovation at Harvard High School. A glass conference room, smart board, work tables, LCD screens, and modular furniture have replaced traditional desks in Harvard’s new INCubatoredu class. Superintendent Dr. Corey Tafoya explained, “Students enter the room and leave their backpacks in cubbies at the door; the space provides a professional learning and working environment for the 21st Century.”
On Thursday, September 27, Harvard High School held an open house welcoming students, families, and community members to the new room. The funding for the classroom was secured entirely through private donors. The Coleman Foundation, the Domek Foundation, the Foglia Family Foundation, The Harvard State Bank, the Harvard Community Education Fund, and the McHenry County Economic Development Foundation all provided significant resources to the project. The Domek Foundation’s Mike Domek, a major supporter of INCubatoredu programs throughout the county, led the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
INCubatoredu offers students an entrepreneurship experience and empowers them to develop business plans with the guidance of business leaders. Instructor Erin Harris explained “The students really enjoyed working with our first coach, Mr. Tom Dougherty. He brought his life and business experience into the classroom and made himself available to the students in a way they have not had access to a business professional before.” Dougherty, owner of Studio 2015 Jewelry in Woodstock, emphasized the importance of failure to students as they develop their ideas. Senior Andrew Cooke commented, “In class we learned that failure is okay, with that knowledge we know that failure is not the end of the world.”
Students develop their business plans throughout the year with opportunities to pitch and refine their concepts in the winter, before making a formal presentation in the spring. Already discussing his ideas at the open house, Senior Dawson Miller said, “The incubator is an excellent opportunity for us to interact with community members and work outside of our comfort zone. The course requires us to come up with ideas we normally would not. It’s a different way of thinking.”
Original source can be found here.
Source: Harvard Community Unit School District 50
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