LOUISVILLE, Ky. — DeWayne Richards is a 7th grader with a passion for STEM education. When W.E.B. DuBois Academy announced the addition of the Verizon Innovative Learning Lab, he jumped at the opportunity.
“Last year in the 6th grade, it was when they were first opening it, I applied. I was one of the first couple people to apply to this class, it was a big class,” Richards said.
What You Need To Know
- W.E.B. DuBois Academy is adding a Verizon Innovative Learning Lab
- The lab includes augmented and virtual reality, 3D printers and artificial intelligence
- W.E.B. DuBois is the third JCPS school to add the Innovative Lab
W.E.B. DuBois Academy is open to all male students and offers a multicultural curriculum for 6-8th grade. Their mission is to empower young men and eliminate barriers, and the lab makes all of that possible.
“One thing that's often left out is that digital divide or that digital gap that our students often times don't have,” Robert Gunn, principal at W.E.B. DuBois Academy said. “Not only are we getting a Verizon Innovative Learning Lab, but we also have the opportunity to be a one-on-one school so all of our students receive an iPad every year.”
W.E.B. DuBois Academy has become the third public school in Jefferson County to receive the lab, joining Olmsted Academy North and Newburg Middle School.
“All three of these schools have high percentages of Black and minority students who are very often left out of the STEM fields,” said William Price, JCPS lead for the Verizon Innovative Learning Program. “We hope that these opportunities will open those doors and spark interest in them, not only today, but also well into the future.”
The lab includes augmented and virtual reality, 3D printers and artificial intelligence. For Richards, it’s the perfect opportunity to get a headstart on his future.
“I want to be a graphic designer with 3D printing and local VR to make animated movies, like we did a project on stopped motion video and we made a movie,” Richards said.
Verizon hopes to provide 10 million youth in the U.S. with digital skills training by 2030.
Verizon, Heart of America and Arizona State University helped design W.E.B. DuBois Academy’s state-of-the-art lab space. They will also train teachers on using the technology as part of their curriculum.