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California Schools Embrace STEM with New Innovation Center at Jurupa Valley H.S

By Larry Kaprielian –

At KNA, we believe in engineering. We live it every day. That’s why working on a project like the new Innovation Center for Jurupa Valley High School is so rewarding.

Larry Kaprielian and Jim Ebrahim recently attended the Open House, December 20, to celebrate the opening of Phase I of the project. The picture above tells the whole story. By providing students and faculty with the necessary tools, students are now able to engage in STEM-friendly learning spaces. “This will provide the facilities for students to have a deeper knowledge of the industry they’re studying, giving them the skills and access to equipment and opportunities,” said Trenton Hansen, the district’s assistant superintendent for planning and development.

With the passing of Bond Measure EE in November 2014, the ‘C’ wing of the campus will be modernized to house the STEM program at the high school. “The school is required to be 25 years old and older to qualify for this modernization,” said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Trenton Hansen. With a two-phase modernization schedule, the first consists of:

  • Spaces for a business/finance classroom
  • A prototyping classroom
  • A “maker space” with a glass roll-up door
  • Collaborative conference space
  • An Innovation lab
  • A breakout “tech room.”

The second phase will include a renovated auto shop, auto classroom and biotechnology/agriculture classroom. “It’s designed to be practical, hands-on and cutting edge,” said Superintendent Elliott Duchon.

Getting Students Ready for Successful Futures
There is a lot of buzz around the STEM and STEAM programs for many California K-12 campuses. Jurupa Unified School District board awarded $3.6 million for the first phase and roughly $7 million for Phase 2. The project will be completed by the start of the 2018-19 school year. STEM occupations are expected to grow faster than the average for all jobs. Information security analysts, statisticians, mathematicians, biomedical engineers and software developers are among the fields poised to have the most openings through 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Project Details
Project: Jurupa Valley High School, Jurupa Valley, California
Owner: Jurupa Unified School District
Architect: Ruhnau Clarke Architects
Project Manager / Project Designer: Jennifer Dubon, Associate Principal
KNA Project Manager: Jim Ebrahim
KNA Project Engineer: Tyler Poucher

 

Read more about STEAM at Jurupa Valley High School