CENTRO ROMERO INVESTS IN STUDENTS AND SPACES
LATE LAST YEAR, CENTRO ROMERO BEGAN THE BIG PROJECT OF REVAMPING THE OUTDATED ADULT LEARNING CENTER.
It was time for a change – everything from new paint colors to brighten up the room to more modern technology in place of bulky desktop computers. We want our students to feel ready to learn when they enter the space, and create a better location for bringing in outside speakers and organizations as well.
To start to make this goal a reality, Centro Romero enlisted the help of four students from Northwestern University’s civic engagement certificate program. The team worked with Centro Romero staff to develop a game plan and then got to work interviewing students about what they wanted to see in the room and conducting research with learning sciences professionals to learn how to make the most of the small space.
Related: Fund Centro Romero’s Science and Multimedia Lab
From those interviews and conversations, we came up with these key goals for the new space: promotes visual learning, incorporates technological engagement, allows for individual and collaborative work, and supports students with learning difficulties. We also wanted each item in the space to contribute to at least two goals. Everything had to be multi-functional.
And now, after months of research, we’re beginning to purchase and install the tools, gadgets, and furniture to help us achieve our goals. The process is on its way, but we still have a long way to go.
Our biggest goal is to utilize technology to create a modern, collaborative learning space, but we don’t want to simply order all the latest gadgets. We want to find technology that best fits our students.
After interviewing the students, our Northwestern partners discovered that many of them learn best with visual aids, so we searched for technological tools that work best for visual learners. We now have Smart Boards ordered for all of our classrooms, a visual tool that, after installed, students can actively engage with. We also hope to implement new document cameras for projecting student work onto a larger screen and transition to portable Chromebook Flip laptops.
Our students have been excited to see the start of the transformation of their classroom, and they’ve been involved in helping it become a success. Gerardo, one of our GED students, is a cabinet maker, and he volunteered his time to install new cabinets. Students, staff, and volunteers from Loyola Academy came together to paint the room Dolphin Blue, and two of our talented GED students are creating art for the classroom – Leidi is painting a mural on a large canvas, and Hamdi is creating a mosaic. We love seeing our students involved in transforming their classroom and can’t wait to see how they continue to do so every step of the way.
WHAT’S NEXT?
We’re excited about the progress we’ve made so far, but we still have a long way to go to make the best space possible for our students. We’d love to buy a green screen and other film equipment so that students can learn how to make their own videos, a skill that utilizes both technological engagement and visual learning. We also want to purchase Virtual and Augmented Reality tools for our students to utilize in the classroom, and we hope to buy more technology and tools designed for students with learning disabilities. Our students are invested in this project – many have donated their own money to the cause – and we’d love to see you invest in it too, so we can make our dreams a reality. Check out our GoFundMe page and consider being a part of this exciting project!