Photo by Jesse Chambers
Tandy Petrov works with student Aaliyah Files to put potting soil in the new garden box to be used by science students at the school to learn about the environment and sustainability.
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.
