Challenger Middle School in South Tucson now has a room where everyone likes to spend time: a brand new makerspace, which offers school-wide specialized programming and resources.
With multimedia equipment, comfortable seating areas where students may relax and plenty of storage cabinets filled with tools meant to be used, this is a room designed for learning that’s disguised as fun.
The room came about when, last August, the school made a wish to the Wishes for Teachers program and became the happy recipient of a $50,000 grant given by the Fiesta Sports Foundation and the College Football Playoff Foundation.
“This $50,000 is being used to transform a space that had been underutilized,” said Marchelle Franklin, a foundation board of directors member, said. “Now it will be available for all the students on this wonderful campus.”
During a short program prior to opening the room, dance teacher Sara Vega and principal Adriana Molina each received $1,000 from the foundations. Superintendent Jose Gastellum of the Sunnyside Unified School District then expressed his pleasure in opening the room to students and faculty.
“This definitely is a special day for Challenger, it’s a special day for our community and a special day for Sunnyside Unified School District,” he said. “Having a beautiful makerspace room will provide so many opportunities for our students.”
Finally it was time for the room reveal.
Upon entering, the students knew what to do, no one had to tell them. They seated themselves and opened the LEGO kits and puzzles that were sitting out on the tables and began building.
One of Fiesta Sports Foundation’s missions is to serve Arizona communities in the areas of youth, sports and education. The room remodel came about when Challenger, a Title I school, applied for the grant last August. It was one of 70 schools that applied. Out of that 70, three were chosen and Challenger was one of them. The two others were in Phoenix.