For middle school students, college and careers can seem a long way off. Henrico County Public Schools’ partnership with VCU’s da Vinci Center for Innovation is helping bring those possibilities to life.
On a recent October day, 71 eighth grade students enrolled in HCPS’ new Center for Innovation at John Rolfe Middle School made the short trip to the VCU campus to get a firsthand look at college disciplines and careers that use their interests in science, technology, engineering and math.
“These kinds of activities are all about opening doors, opening their eyes to experiences beyond middle school,” said Robbi Moose, HCPS educational specialist for deeper learning, who spent nearly 14 years as principal of Hungary Creek Middle School.
In a sunny sixth-floor classroom in the university’s new STEM building, students watched as a VCU student labored on a treadmill, the wires and monitors taped to his chest sending real-time health data to a giant video board.
Three floors below, a group of John Rolfe students examined replicas of primate skulls as instructors offered an introduction to anthropology and evolution.
In a forensics lab down the hall, eighth grade visitors inspected a mock crime scene, seeking clues to the “death” of a mannequin victim. The instructor flicked off the overhead lights and bathed the room in dim orange and green hues. Students gazed through sheets of translucent plastic and exclaimed excitedly as fingerprints became visible.
“Our students can see what college students are doing right now, and we can help connect those dots for them,” Moose said. “In the physics lab where they were exploring static electricity, at the whole forensics lab crime scene — what are the paths that lead to careers in those areas? A student might say, ‘Hey, I’m interested in the health-sciences activities that I got to see at VCU. Is there a high school specialty center where I can pursue that? How do I take the next step?”
At noon, the John Rolfe group walked two blocks to the da Vinci Center offices, where they shared pizza, recapped what they’d learned and tackled an assignment: using LEGO blocks to build models of “their ideal classrooms of the future.”
Hands-on STEM education teaches students “they can bring their own unique thoughts, creativity and innovation to whatever they’re interested in,” said Garret Westlake, da Vinci Center executive director. “It might not be what they think about school. Growing up, I hated school. But that’s because I was really curious about a lot of different things, and school felt like you had to pick something. We hope to show students that it’s OK to be curious — and education can support your curiosity.”
HCPS’ inaugural middle school innovation center opened at John Rolfe in August. A second is slated to open at Quioccasin Middle School. A pillar of both centers is a unique new curriculum designed to foster hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering and math.
Learn more about HCPS' middle school Centers for Innovation and how your student can apply.