FWCS Amp Lab

creating, connecting, innovating and amplifying.

Those are the kinds of activities that will be taking place for those students who are moving into a very special space 400 11th and 12th grade students from Fort Wayne Community Schools are going to be experiencing the AMP lab and the electric works AMP Lab and Electric Works is forming community schools new immersive Half-Day program for juniors and seniors.

Students can either come for both junior and senior year or they can come for junior or senior year.

The vision for AMP Lab is to really create an immersive environment for students to collaborate and solve problems together for AMP Lab it's really about how do we bring a diverse group of students together and give them the tools, resources and times to be creative to solve problems and try to tackle some of the challenges our community faces that's important for Northeast Indiana because as we look at the way that the modern economy is changing and the role that young vibrant students play in it is we need to think about how we put them in the forefront of that and really give them complex challenging problem to try and tackle not in isolation in collaboration with some of the industry leaders in northeast Indiana AMPE Lab is made up of four distinct studios and each studio provides access to resources that students might not have otherwise.

We look at it as a playground so each studio provides a really distinct purpose.

So we have our gross studio which is a science R&D lab with an indoor greenhouse.

We have our CREATE studio which is a content creators lab so music video animation, graphic design.

We have our make studio which is makerspace and fabrication lab so the ability to build prototypes, 3-D printing, S.A.C.

machines, woodworking and we have our venture studio which is our collaborate Lab, the place where students can ideate and brainstorm and lab is really about bringing three core elements together.

How do we bring entrepreneurial thinking, innovative mindsets and creative processes together to solve real problems in various industry context?

And so it's not about preparing students for one job or one type of industry but it's really giving them the tools to tackle those problems across a wide variety of industries so that no matter where their path takes them they're equipped to propel themselves forward and really amplify their voice in whatever job they choose to pursue.

AMP Lab is open to 400 juniors and seniors from the five Fort Wayne Community School High Schools we see the prototype of a student being wide ranging and we think that we're going to have a very diverse demographic makeup both in experiences but also coming from every corner of Fort Wayne to make up that AMPE lab community AMP Lab and electric works will be open to its first cohort of students in August of twenty twenty two so the twenty twenty to twenty twenty three school year if a students interested AMP Labs open to current 10th and 11th graders in Fort Wayne community schools there's an application process and families can find more information about that process.

At our website students apply via their counselor so we're really excited to see the energy and buzz as students learn about this opportunity and we only continue to see it to grow as we get closer to launch in August we'll learn more about the name and the plans for AMP Labs innovative and agile educational setting on this week's prime time.

Good evening Saints.

And with us from Fort Wayne Community Schools is the gentleman you just saw Riley Johnson, the director of AMPE Lab Electric Works and we welcome you to our conversation as well if you'd like to call us with your questions or comments, you can use the number that you see on the screen as we widen out a little bit and welcome Riley.

>> Thank you for being here, sir.

Thank you so much for having me.

So great.

Let's conquer the biggest question some may have how did AMP get its name?

>> Yeah, so you know when we were thinking about what to call this thing, I think first we really wanted to make sure that the name represented the experience.

>> So it's not a school, it's not an academy but it really twofold came to life .

So how do we honor the history of that campus?

And so obviously the connection of the word amp to electricity and energy but then also what does it look to amplify?

So how do we amplify the students voices?

>> How do we amplify the ideas they have in our community and beyond?

Well well it seems like it has set itself up for so much more.

We're talking about more innovating, more connecting, more interactivity, more engagement.

>> How does one manage all the more, if you will, that is on its way?

>> Yeah.

So I think for us what we've tried to do is really focus on the core of the experience and you use that word agility.

Right.

So how do we have a strong foundation of what students are going to be experiencing at AMP Lab but not put a limit on it and so really if that core is strong and when I talk about the core it's really those competency students are trying to master it's the process they're using to really try and engage with problems but to keep the door open for infinite possibilities because we want to really make sure we encourage our students to dream big but we also give them the time and resources and space to do it well I'd like to return to the creative space that we saw briefly in the video.

>> You brought a few of the artists conceptions of what are in fact in the act of being finalized now because it's about ten minutes till August Pridemore tell us what we're seeing here.

>> Yeah, so this is our create studio.

So the amplifier building design concept is around four different studios with four very different purposes.

And so in our CREATE studio it really focuses all around the relationship of knowledge and content creation and so we've tried to create the gamut.

So what does it look like for students to be able to use photography and video but also be able to create using graphic design and animation but also into the podcasting and music technology space?

Right.

So we've got two recording studios.

We have a podcast studio.

So really thinking how do we give students the tools to bring those ideas to life through multimedia and then we have yeah this is the growth studio gross.

And so I think this is my personal favorite because the growth studio is the combination of science R&D lab with an indoor greenhouse and I had no clue what this was going to look like as it came to life because conceptually I always think of a green house being attached to the outside of a building and it's built into the fabric of the AMP lab space and so here we'll have the ability to grow a wide variety of leafy greens herbs but even rooted vegetables for who knows what right.

Whether it be for community good, whether it be because we're working with a partner or one of the vendors in the market has a specific need that we're trying to answer.

>> So that space really we're super excited about about this one.

Yeah.

So this is what we call our learning street and so one of the challenging tasks and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention, you know, the combination of the developers and Weygand and elevate us and then our team at Fort Wayne Community Schools just really thinking about how do we utilize every square foot in that building.

And so the learning street really is the space where students will be able to learn in their own way.

So it's got what we call studies and lounges that are really pop in and pop out more intimate public spaces where a small group of students can really come together and I believe finally yeah.

>> So this is our venture studio and so on the first floor we have two studio so I don't have a rendering of our make studio.

So the studio is our maker space and fabrication area.

>> So really from the the gamut of cardboard prototyping to we have full scale sea and sea 3D printing and even metal 3D printing capability and then the fourth studio is what we see as our venture studio and that is really where ideation and brainstorming and concept development will happen in relationship to the ideas that students come up with is interesting because this is part lab and then in a couple of sentences later the words think tank are used with the drive of speaking to the community, to businesses in the community bringing real world problems or opportunities into a very unique kind of classroom.

>> So yeah, and I think you know, for me you don't put something like ampe lab add electric works if working with the community is not going to be at the forefront of the experience for students and so you know we've doubled our think tank but really what it is is the opportunity for businesses and organizations to bring problems they are facing to us and let the kids really go through our design cycle to try and understand the problem but then iterate solutions on top of that.

>> And that's where we're showing I guess three phases or three aspects or layers.

So we really in addition to the think tank so we really see the kind of in that core experience what an AMP lab student will engage in.

As I mentioned the think tank but you layer two is what we're calling our sparks and that's really so much in in school is students kind of following the directive and we wanted to really make sure that we created the opportunity for them to chase their dreams and we really see that happening in kind of two different paths.

>> So the entrepreneurial lens and the innovative lens OK, and then finally the chance to see how some of this plays out in real life and yeah, with the launch pad it's really about how do we get hyper focused on each individual student regardless of what they think their path is going to be in help them find opportunities to make that transition.

So the day after they graduate they're not, you know, stumbling forward but they have some real tangible experiences that helped propel them or amplify them into life after high school I remember you had said that important to the success of of an experience such as this is the pedagogy or the the the style of teaching and I have come to learn this is drawing on your new tech background I guess which conveys something called project based learning.

>> Yeah.

Where you want to go now.

Yeah.

And so you know, I'm blessed that I I have lived pretty much my entire career and pretty innovative traditional public school settings and project based learning is really a pedagogy that is how do you take inquiry and curiosity and bring it to life where instead of students just following a textbook and taking a test it's really how do you help them engage with the knowledge they're trying to attain in an authentic way?

And so I think AMPE lab really you know we've learned a lot from living in project based learning environments so we really think AMPE Lab is kind of that PBL on steroids so we know we're going to take some of the best components of a well-run project based learning environment into our experience but we hope to marry that with some authentic practices from the entrepreneurial space, from the design space, from the business world to really make sure that we are scaffolding kind that student experience across the board.

>> And you know, there have been such discussions and and initiatives perhaps white papers in trying to connect the classroom to the career ladder.

>> This is a conduit of a different kind.

>> Tell me about the kinds of conversations you've had within the business.

Yeah, I mean I think right now as our economy continues to evolve, I think there's this big question out there of like how do we actively reach the 18 year old and whether it's as a prospective employee or it's helping them think about what their post-secondary education path is.

And so as we've met with business leaders in our community, it's really thinking about you.

How do we flip that on its head and think what if we engage with 16 17, 18 year olds in real work and we didn't treat it like a scenario or we didn't treat it like a simulation but we challenge these students to really think how do I lead with empathy?

How do I unpack what the problem really is and then how do I dream big about potential solutions?

And so I think the community leaders we've engaged with I've been blown away with the the positive receptive nature that they really see the value and the potential that this can do and really enhancing that talent pipeline here in Allen County and potentially retaining that after graduating.

Well, and we know a lot if you know in the education world you hear a lot about trusted adults and I think as we look at career development, you know, this generation that we're engaging with is relational in nature and if they have a positive relationship with a company or organization in our community, the chances of them finding value in staying here or coming back after an experience we think goes through the roof and as you're looking at the roof and you're looking at the walls, you're looking at all these things, the comment was made that this will be one of only a handful of schools nationwide focused on the steam disciplines and entrepreneurship established in an active mixed use district.

>> So it's great to be a leader but you're looking at who your cohorts are, your companions are and there's no one around.

>> Yeah, What is that like to lead a project then like this?

>> You know, so so I'm a big believer that no idea is new in itself.

And so what we've tried to do is really learn a lot from a lot of places.

And so as we look at the experience we hope to live in an AMP lab.

We've really looked at OK, where are where are programs that have pieces that we can learn from so both on the school side but also in the industry side because it's really important for me that we are able to kind of think beyond the school lens and so a lot of time and energy has gone into really studying and engaging with educational and industry leaders across the country on what is the best marriage of practices on that electric works campus.

>> And so it may well be that your inaugural year will have some extra visitors from the outside who are kind of monitoring and encouraging and taking notes to see what could be duplicated elsewhere.

>> Yeah, replicative you know and I think when you add the mixed use aspect to the project right.

Like what does it look like to drop four hundred kids in the middle of this hub of energy and activity in a city I think will be really exciting to see what other communities and other educators take away from allowing students to live in that environment and talk about these students because this is a tremendous opportunity wide circumstance because this is just not all academically talented but they may well be academically encouraging.

>> And so, you know, one of my biggest fears was that old adage, right?

Like if you build it, will they come?

And so this year we've known that really until August.

>> It's all hypothetical.

We're all just really talking about an idea, the vision.

But what we really tried to do was as we talked with students and informed families was make it a really hyper personalized experience so that if I was a student that might be interested I could really see what could this look like for me.

I'm not stepping into some generic program.

I'm stepping into a really hyper evolving environment that I'm going to be able to project myself into.

>> And so we're blessed that four hundred is max capacity and so as we started to really engage students it was kind of fingers crossed and we've just been blown away by the fact that we're going to start year one at maximum capacity I think is a testament to the desire for something like this in our community and these are hefty opportunities.

>> So the math helps manage all of that enthusiasm.

Yeah, so that's so we have an AM and PM cohort so students spend half of their day at their home high school and the other half on campus with us and so it's about right at two hundred students in each of those cohorts.

And then what we did was we wanted to make sure that every junior and senior in Fort Wayne community schools had the same opportunity because for me I really reflect like I have a kindergartner my son Khail like what will it look like in 10 years when he's ready to engage in this?

How do we make sure that every kid has that same chance?

And so our representation across the five Fort Wayne community schools high schools is awesome.

>> So it really is a melting pot of our city coming into this experience and in all of this training the ones that I think even those employers we concern ourselves with daily is is trying to find talent for if you will, jobs or or skill sets that have not either been defined or created .

And this is a chance it seems to to make the linkage between what I learn and how I apply it as short as possible.

>> Yeah.

And so I think if we look at the kind of those three core principles of entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking and marrying that with kind of those steam disciplines, you know, to that point we've tried to keep that door as wide open as possible because we know that as jobs change and as industries evolve, how do we make sure that employable students are walking into those environments with the mindset and the abilities to hit the ground running and still vested in steam which or stem with the arts component added science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

>> Yeah yeah I was going to drop one of those but I it good able to hang in there long enough to make that work but so much gets hung on that and in addition to a teamwork Yeah.

>> And thought process is process and the other not having to fear failure.

>> Yeah I learned about that you know students still get report cards they still get their transcript with a grade on it but we were really adamant that in the experience that that was never going to be a barrier to trying and taking a risk.

>> And so we've really looked at how do we use those competencies in a portfolio model to really help students show their growth and show their mastery over time without treating it like homework and test and quizzes and numbers and letters.

And we think that structure really opens the door for students to say, you know what, I'm going to try something and I'm not sure if it's going to work and if it doesn't work, that's OK because that's just going to give me more data to make a different decision and it's no different than the marketplace.

One hundred percent and I think that's one of those things.

You know, I always use the adage, you know, as a professional I get a letter grade every day.

A lot of it is how well can I articulate the work I'm doing and the impact it has on the desired outcomes.

And so how do we emulate that for students and really let them tell that story?

What does it look like to put that that power of reflection and assessment in their hands but wrapping it around real concepts that you know are are things that they can carry with them well beyond the AMP lab experience.

>> So how is your experience and go going with the countdown to August?

>> I'm hearing the ticking of the clock in the background .

>> You know I I of always make the joke that I feel like that circus performer with thirty plates spinning at the same time but it really is you know we've been blessed to have some really clear benchmarks and you know, I think summer is generally the time where most people connected with education kind of take that sigh of relief and wind down.

And for me to your point, I just keep looking at the days like OK, how are we going to get this ready to go?

And so really we're ramping into that where we're about to get possession of our building know so we are the first tenant to move in on campus and so really once we get that possession, what does it look like to have an empty building that we've got to get ready for these four hundred students to come engage with us and be sure to get a good welcome very much for lots of folks will be walking.

>> We wish you nothing but the best with the success of this inaugural year.

Thank you so much.

Riley Johnson is the director of the AMP Lab at Electric Works and that's where you can find more information.

>> You can also go to your favorite search engine and type AMP lab and up it will hum but AMP Lab FWC come and August is moments away and the success for students to just beginning so keep them going.

>> Yeah thank you guys so much and we're just so excited to see where this goes.

Likewise we'll follow along and we thank you for following along as well.

For all of us with prime time, I'm Bruce Haines.

Thanks for watching.

Take care.

We'll see you again next week.

Good night