Valley Elementary School students can keep up with rapidly changing technology at a new Innovation Lab unveiled on April 24 at the Poway campus.
Students have already had a few lessons in the I-Lab with coding robots called Ozobots and have worn virtual reality goggles to experience rocket launches and night skies.
“When I used the VR goggles it was a little scary because when I looked down, it felt like I was going to fall,” said fifth-grader Diego Valdez, 10, adding that it’s “cool” to visit the lab.
The school’s roughly 700 students, who are taught in Spanish and English, met on the playground for a ribbon-cutting ceremony that morning. Other attendees included a representative of District 2 county Supervisor Joel Anderson’s office, Valley Elementary Foundation representatives, and staff and volunteers who helped bring the I-Lab to fruition.
Legislative Intern Genesis Velez, who spoke on behalf of Anderson, said the innovative space that includes a 3-D printer and TV screens connected to computers will help Valley Elementary students explore career opportunities and apply theoretical concepts to practical applications.
“Congratulations on this exciting new chapter,” Velez told the crowd. “We look forward to seeing amazing things students can accomplish in the I-Lab.”
Funding for the $75,000 lab adjacent to the school’s library was partially provided through a $30,000 Neighborhood Reinvestment Program grant facilitated by Anderson’s office. The OtterCares Foundation provided about $17,427, and other donors also chipped in.
The Valley Elementary Educational Foundation was instrumental in setting up the lab with the help of volunteers. This school year alone, the school’s volunteer hours — including classroom help and istrative services — are estimated to be worth $240,000, said the PTA’s Ways and Means Vice President Mandy Wall.
After five years of planning, fundraising and grant writing, students are beginning to learn at the lab.
Fourth-grader Thatcher Bourassa said he was excited to use the Ozobots, which are mini-robots coded to follow a pattern that a student draws with a marker.
Another favorite included Stick Stacks, which are magnetic building stick blocks that can be connected into different shapes, he said. The 10-year-old also tried out virtual goggles for the first time.
“It’s a little glitchy but it’s OK,” said Thatcher, who is interested in a career in the technology field. “I looked at a city and a rocket launch. You could walk around the city and go in the rocket. It was fun.”
Fifth-grader Grace Chicas, 10, said she likes playing with the lab’s Magna-Tiles, which are 3-D structures with various geometric shapes that snap together like magnets.
“I’ve learned how to build and engineer different stuff,” said the aspiring wildlife biologist. “The I-Lab gives us a chance to try something new.”
Fourth-grader Lily Rocio said she learned something about biology in addition to technology when she and her classmates studied owl pellets at the lab. The 10-year-old said they examined the undigested parts of a bird’s food that they cough up.
“I was excited to try all the things that were in here,” she said of her first few lab visits. “I like that it’s clean and organized and has a lot of new things I haven’t used before.”
Parent Jenny Bourassa was president of the school’s Educational Foundation when the idea for an I-Lab originated four years ago. Bourassa said she and two other parents, Amy Jackson-Chicas and Christine Jones, meet once every month to search for grant opportunities. One of their projects was organizing an annual STEAM Fair, which stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and math.
The trio ed STEAM-related companies to ask them to set up booths and arrange activities at the fair, and while they were at it, they asked the companies to also sponsor an I-Lab, Bourassa said.
One of the largest contributors was the OtterCares Foundation, she said. The charitable arm of Otter Products, which makes and sells OtterBox phone and tablet accessories, has invested in children’s education since 2009, its website states.
Donations provided by that foundation and other sponsors have been used to buy equipment such as smartboards, 3-D printers, VR headsets, iPads in addition to furniture and storage containers, she said.
The next STEAM Fair is set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 3 at the school, 13000 Bowron Road. The free event is open to the community and tours of the new lab will be given to attendees.
Jackson-Chicas, a volunteer Innovation Lab coordinator, said two Valley Elementary teachers, Kassie Aparis and Juana Molina, are writing curriculum for other teachers on campus to use in the I-Lab. Molina is assisting the primary grades and Aparis is assisting the upper grades, she said.
“They’re amazing,” Jackson-Chicas said. “They’ve been doing training with the teachers so they are able to use the equipment here.”
But since both teachers also have full-time jobs, Jackson-Chicas said the hope is that the school can continue to raise funds for a dedicated I-Lab teacher.
“We’re looking for sponsors to help fund that position,” she said.
Bourassa and Jackson-Chicas said Valley Elementary has limited resources because Valley is a Title 1 school. That means nearly half the families qualify for free or reduced lunches under federal guidelines and are considered to be in a lower socio-economic status.
Jackson-Chicas said Title 1 schools receive a limited amount of federal funding and have restrictions on how the money can be spent. The Valley Elementary Educational Foundation aims to close the gap between what the school district provides and what the students need, but the foundation generally has fewer resources compared to non-Title 1 schools, she said.
At the lab, the students have a bright and fun space where they get to check out materials they otherwise probably wouldn’t get to explore, Bourassa said.
“At home, some students don’t have anything like this, even simple materials like the hands-on items,” Jackson-Chicas said. “When you see students in here, every kid just lights up. When I was a kid I didn’t even know coding existed. Now students are coding in first and second grades.”
Assistant Principal Zuleika Rodriguez said she is appreciative of the donors, volunteers, staff and foundation and PTA who made the I-Lab possible. Without them, students would be missing out on hands-on learning experiences using technology, Rodriguez said.
“Many students here are underserved,” she said, adding that some parents are not able to provide extra such as tutoring even though they are working two or three jobs. “We’re not fortunate enough to have the funds for extracurricular activities and extra .”
