On Friday, as notification emails for acceptance into Stephen Foster Elementary School’s STEM magnet program were mailed, UF students made their strategies, get yourself ready for a weekend-long beautification project at?the varsity.
Project Makeover is actually a UF student-run organization that annually selects and decorates an Alachua County elementary school. In excess of 1,000 student volunteers spend one weekend early in the year giving the university a makeover, including painting murals, planting gardens and creating alternative workspaces for instance outdoor classrooms.
Founded in 2008, Project Makeover chose Stephen Foster Elementary being their tenth makeover.?According to Lisa Peterson, principal of Stephen Foster, they approached their district representative for Project Makeover, submitted a request?to remain selected in May and were notified during early fall that were there been chosen.
“Our school has the STEM magnet program for public school students, so we’re highly focused entirely on project-based learning. It was actually basically a science theme,” Peterson said.
In waves of 200 to 300 at a time, students donated their time decorating, painting moon phases and famous scientists on walls and having a “maker space” where students can collaborate and problem solve.
“[Monday morning], there’s a wide-eyed sense of awe and excitement and joy over the maker space. [Students] were so excited. There seemed to be an authentic look interesting and enthusiasm,” Peterson said.
There's many energy at Stephen Foster today. You are able to feel how excited students are. @WUFTNews pic.twitter.com/Uj5VlPoOhi
— VVernachio (@V_Vernachio) February 27, 2017
These makeovers impact more than just the aesthetic of your school, in accordance with Lisa Scott, an associate at work professor of psychology and director of UF’s Brain, Cognition and Development Lab.
“There are techniques of designing environments to back up learning,” Scott said. “Visual stimuli could well be particularly crucial in drawing students’ attention.”
There is actually a time when clutter could be more distracting than helpful, but that can be remedied by ensuring that every piece serves an educational purpose.
“Design work station or specific topics that have already visuals that are not just extraneous visual information,” Scott said.
"It's gonna allow them really just be learning at all times." – Carly Mikell, STEM teacher @WUFTNews pic.twitter.com/Lv3RIakN8T
— VVernachio (@V_Vernachio) February 27, 2017
Students think about walking around Stephen Foster. There's many "oohs" and "ahhs"-from students and teachers alike. @WUFTNews pic.twitter.com/RIdu61j8MI
— VVernachio (@V_Vernachio) February 27, 2017
Daniel Burney has taken part into two makeovers, once throughout his time as vice principal of Charles W. Duval Elementary School and last year as principal of M.K. Rawlings Elementary School. He said that there is a continued improvement in student success after the project.
“As far as student academic achievements, our overall school grade improved one letter grade,” Burney said. “We don’t attribute that to one thing, but I know items like Project Makeover helped enhance the degree of engagement and awareness.”
Burney declared that the murals and landscaping established through the Project Makeover team look the same as they did after they were first created which a lesser selection of volunteers will be visiting yearly several months to feel things up.
“[Project Makeover] gets better every year,” Burney said. “There was even more of a spotlight on sustainability these times. The things which were done would look great during many years.”
When a faculty is matched with Project Makeover, the team in concert with administrators to craft plans along with a theme. Selection and preparations come from May and continue into February or March in the event the makeover occurs.
There haven’t be any formal data collection conducted via the Project Makeover team, although current director Lucy Toman said she intentions to check into launching research. She said almost all feedback stems from teachers who claim their students tend to be engaged and site visits to past schools.
“If we’re able to use and prepare a positive impact to maybe help a youngster be a little more excited about learning plus more interested in keeping school, that is the best impact we are able to have,” Toman said.
Project Makeover works with 10 of 22 Alachua County public elementary schools. Toman said that while you will find many local schools which really can be selected, she needs to discover this company expand.
“I think it will be great once we could extend Project Makeover to other counties or expand for some other universities,” Toman said.
