News

Students Help Raise First Classroom at CFI

June 3rd, 2013

South Kent School students do more than just sit in classrooms; they help build them!

On Friday, May 31, 2013 students enrolled in the Historic Building Technologies course worked with New England Barn Company to erect the frame of the first classroom building (a two-story 30’ x 40’ timber frame structure) at South Kent School’s Center for Innovation (CFI).

Students worked with the New England Barn Company to plan and design this building, and now the boys have taken responsibility to fund and build this new classroom building alongside professional contractors. By being an integral part of the project, the boys have shown that they don’t need to be passive observers. They are leaders who improve their world through their knowledge and efforts.

South Kent School students have produced a Kickstarter campaign to solicit funding for the classroom project, challenging themselves to raise $100,000. At least $10,000 has already been pledged! Read more about the Kickstarter campaign here.

Bordering scenic Hatch Pond, the Center for Innovation (CFI) consists of organic gardens and orchards, a greenhouse, permaculture landscaping, managed wetlands for storm water treatment and irrigation, and the recently added academic building and animal husbandry facilities. The CFI is an integral part of South Kent School’s academic program and is also designed to be a resource for the local community and other schools with an interdisciplinary curriculum for science, the arts, sustainable practices, and ecology.

More information is available on the webpage for the Center for Innovation and don’t forget to visit the CFI Facebook page for lots of pictures.