STEM lab created for ‘hands-on learning’ time

In the city of Birmingham, “alternative” schools are those reserved for kids who have exhibited behavior problems or had a tough time adjusting to regular school.

But even if a student has some problems, “that doesn’t negate their need for a equitable education,” said Andrea Martin, a social studies teacher at Dupuy Alternative School in the Kingston neighborhood.

That’s why Martin teamed with Tandy Petrov, who teaches seventh- through 12th-grade science at Dupuy, to write a successful grant to the Board of Education to create a STEM lab and makerspace in the school.

The lab, which opened this year, features microscopes, wet labs, 3-D printing and digital embroidery.

“The lab is cool because we can do real science,” Petrov said. “It gives them a chance to have hands-on learning.”

The school got a boost in November when construction firm Brasfield & Gorrie sent 30 of the company’s engineering and building science interns and co-op students to make some improvements behind the school near the lab.

They helped students build a raised garden box and did some other repairs and cleanup.

“This project not only created an educational space for the school, it also allowed our co-ops and interns to share their knowledge,” said company’s superintendent Frank Sisson.