Close Menu
Edu Expertise Hub
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Sunday, August 10
    • About us
    • Contact
    • Submit Coupon
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    Edu Expertise Hub
    • Home
    • Udemy Coupons
    • Best Online Courses and Software Tools
      • Business & Investment
      • Computers & Internet
      • eBusiness and eMarketing
    • Reviews
    • Jobs
    • Latest News
    • Blog
    • Videos
    Edu Expertise Hub
    Home » Latest News » How we designed a space where our students connect, collaborate, and flourish
    Latest News

    How we designed a space where our students connect, collaborate, and flourish

    TeamBy TeamJune 8, 2025No Comments5 Mins Read0 Views
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Telegram Tumblr Email
    Our charter school, Westbrook Academy, has been serving middle and high school students in the South Los Angeles area for the past six years and stands as a beacon of opportunity for our community.
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email


    Key points:

    Our charter school, Westbrook Academy, has been serving middle and high school students in the South Los Angeles area for the past six years and stands as a beacon of opportunity for our community. With a student body comprising nearly 99 percent Black and Latinx individuals hailing from historically under-resourced communities, we confront the realities of poverty and the accompanying insecurities head-on.

    Despite the odds, our 400 students consistently demonstrate remarkable resilience and a profound capacity for excellence. Our institution is supported by generous donors and funding sources. Operated and managed by the education nonprofit LA Promise Fund, which provides students with academic and enrichment opportunities that support our mission to spark passion, empower leadership, and prepare them for their chosen college and career paths.

    At one point, our high school students were learning in a church because we didn’t have a traditional classroom set-up. We also lacked the equipment that a traditional high school might have. This changed when we moved into our forever home in South Gate, where an on-campus Empowerment Center serves as a modern, welcoming “student hub.”

    Designed and outfitted by MiEN and Meteor Education, the Empowerment Center is where kids go to hang out, collaborate, and/or participate in school club activities. The hub is also set up with two wellness rooms where students can go to debrief and disconnect from a long day or just the stresses of being a student. It’s there for the students’ use.

    Here are the steps we took to create a space that consistently makes jaws drop and impresses parents who never thought their children would have access to such a warm, welcoming communal space on campus:

    • Add some flexibility into the process. Our original goal was to open the Empowerment Center’s doors in time for the 2023-24 school year, but getting it done the right way would require a bit more time. Our partners were willing to listen to us in terms of what we wanted to create, but within the realistic timelines. That was really cool.
    • Acknowledge the financial limitations. We largely relied on fundraising for this project and knew that some things just weren’t going to be realistic. To other schools in similar situations, I’d recommend staying flexible enough to hit the timelines and get all of the bases covered while keeping student needs in mind. We can have all the bells and whistles, but at the end of the day, if the car runs, the car runs. We know we can always add a new paint job later.
    • Get the right partners onboard early. As we went through the steps of designing the Empowerment Center, we learned a lot about architecture, planning, and construction. Through it all, having the right partners in its corner helped the school achieve its goals within budget and on time. It was really great to have our design and furniture partners sharing their best practices and other insights with us. We knew what we wanted to do, and a lot of the ideas came from our families and students. We just needed them to show us how we could get those ideas as close to reality as possible.
    • Make it personal. Special features we wanted in our Empowerment Center included a huge, interactive flatscreen TV that students, teachers, and guest speakers use to interact and work together. There’s also a large selection of donated books, the latest technology tools, and artwork that was personally selected by an art curation team. They were able to secure artists from the LA community to create and share visuals that our students are really familiar with. For example, some of the artwork spotlights female empowerment (i.e., with photos of authors like Octavia Butler) and the importance of acknowledging indigenous people. Everything in the hub is meant to spark curiosity. 
    • Brace yourself for some jaw-dropping moments. At our ribbon-cutting ceremony last year, our parents’ jaws were on the floor. They just never thought these resources would be available to their kids. A lot of them grew with us being in the church and a co-located space, and then we asked them to trust us to deliver on our promise, and now we’re able to show that as the reward for supporting us. We feel really proud that our parents were just over the moon about it.

    Hitting it out of the park

    Reflecting on the process we put in place to get our modern student hub designed, built, and open for business, I can say that the end result is an engaging, collaborative space that can be used for hanging out, structured learning, or a little of both. I think we really hit the ball out of the park with this innovative space.

    Student, teacher, and family feedback on the Empowerment Center has been extremely positive. Everyone loves it, and students are always excited to come and spend time in the modern, comfortable space that’s equipped with the technology and tools they need to be able to learn and engage.

    Jade Stevens, LA Promise Fund and Westbrook Academy

    Jade Stevens is the senior director of communications for the LA Promise Fund and Westbrook Academy in Los Angeles, CA.

    Latest posts by eSchool Media Contributors (see all)



    This post is exclusively published on eduexpertisehub.com

    Source link

    classroom classroom management engaging help K-12 Learning Management schools Students Teaching
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Team

      Related Posts

      OpenAI closes gap to artificial general intelligence with GPT-5

      August 9, 2025

      Integrating AI into education is not as daunting as it seems

      August 9, 2025

      The UK government’s AI Growth Zones strategy: Everything you need to know

      August 8, 2025

      What Will Medicaid Cuts Mean For School Health and Wellness Services?

      August 8, 2025

      AI teacher tools display racial bias when generating student behavior plans, study finds

      August 7, 2025

      Diversity Think Tank: Stepping back? A look at DEI in the current climate

      August 7, 2025
      Courses and Software Tools

      Extreme Privacy: What It Takes to Disappear

      August 24, 202460 Views

      Modern C++ Programming Cookbook: Master Modern C++ with comprehensive solutions for C++23 and all previous standards

      September 18, 202428 Views

      Meebook E-Reader M7 | 6.8′ Eink Carta Screen | 300PPI Smart Light | Android 11 | Ouad Core Processor | Out Speaker | Support Google Play Store | 3GB+32GB Storage | Micro-SD Slot | Gray

      August 19, 202423 Views

      Coders at Work: Reflections on the Craft of Programming

      April 19, 202518 Views

      HR from the Outside In: Six Competencies for the Future of Human Resources

      May 20, 202517 Views
      Reviews

      Zabbix Application and Network Monitoring | Udemy Coupons 2025

      August 10, 2025

      Full Stack Lead (Vue.JS & .Net)

      August 10, 2025

      Python Learning in Google Colab: Data Science for Beginner | Udemy Coupons 2025

      August 9, 2025

      Software Architect (.NET, Java, Azure DevOps)

      August 9, 2025

      Digital Business Card Wristband- Smart NFC Networking Card for Social Media Sharing & Instant Contact – Tap to Share NFC – iPhone & Android

      August 9, 2025
      Stay In Touch
      • Facebook
      • YouTube
      • TikTok
      • WhatsApp
      • Twitter
      • Instagram
      Latest News

      OpenAI closes gap to artificial general intelligence with GPT-5

      August 9, 2025

      Integrating AI into education is not as daunting as it seems

      August 9, 2025

      The UK government’s AI Growth Zones strategy: Everything you need to know

      August 8, 2025

      What Will Medicaid Cuts Mean For School Health and Wellness Services?

      August 8, 2025

      AI teacher tools display racial bias when generating student behavior plans, study finds

      August 7, 2025
      Latest Videos

      Kickstart Your Digital Marketing Career | Work From Home Internship Opportunity!

      August 9, 2025

      Kickstart Your Digital Marketing Career | Work From Home Internship Opportunity!

      August 9, 2025

      Top 10 Most Popular Roblox Games of All Time

      August 8, 2025

      Connor McDavid scores NHL career goal number 200 | October 21, 2021 | Oilers @ Coyotes

      August 7, 2025

      How to Become a Cyber Security Engineer? | Roadmap to LAND CYBERSECURITY JOB in 2025 | Intellipaat

      August 6, 2025
      Latest Jobs

      Full Stack Lead (Vue.JS & .Net)

      August 10, 2025

      Software Architect (.NET, Java, Azure DevOps)

      August 9, 2025

      Producer I, Digital

      August 9, 2025

      Sr Marketer, Brand & Visual Design

      August 9, 2025

      Test Director, Unannounced Game | Irvine, CA

      August 9, 2025
      Legal
      • Home
      • Privacy Policy
      • Cookie Policy
      • Terms and Conditions
      • Disclaimer
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Amazon Affiliate Disclaimer
      Latest Udemy Coupons

      Advanced Program in Human Resources Management | Udemy Coupons 2025

      April 5, 202535 Views

      Mastering Maxon Cinema 4D 2024: Complete Tutorial Series | Udemy Coupons 2025

      August 22, 202435 Views

      Diploma in Aviation, Airlines, Air Transportation & Airports | Udemy Coupons 2025

      March 21, 202530 Views

      Time Management and Timeboxing in Business, Projects, Agile | Udemy Coupons 2025

      April 2, 202522 Views

      Python Development & Data Science: Variables and Data Types | Udemy Coupons 2025

      May 24, 202521 Views
      Blog

      13 Interview Tips For Introverts To Ace Any Job Interview

      August 9, 2025

      Supplements for Busy Women That Actually Work?

      July 29, 2025

      Kick-Start Your Career This Summer: 6 Tips For Job Seekers

      July 25, 2025

      What To Do After Getting A Promotion At Work | Career Tips

      July 24, 2025

      How to Build a Marketing Team That Doesn’t Waste Time, Talent, or Budget

      July 18, 2025
      Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube Dribbble
      © 2025 All rights reserved!

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

      We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
      .
      SettingsAccept
      Privacy & Cookies Policy

      Privacy Overview

      This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
      Necessary
      Always Enabled
      Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
      Non-necessary
      Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
      SAVE & ACCEPT