Innovation Center Set to Open in Mid-Spring 2022
Baldwin’s latest project is an education center and creative space to support interdisciplinary experiences in class.
Photos courtesy of Laura Armstrong
After supply chain delays, Baldwin’s new Innovation Center is set to open in mid spring 2022.
The former swimming pool is currently being converted into an educational center that will increase creative collaboration across grades pre-K through 12. This center was originally set to be finished at the beginning of this year; however, complications related to COVID-19 have pushed back the completion date.
Laura Armstrong, Chief Development Officer, said that the school“ was hoping to have it built very fast, as we broke ground over the summer. We are pretty close on track but the supply chain has been a nightmare.”
Shawn Jordan, Director of Facilities and Operations, added that“there are certain pieces of equipment that are delayed and we cannot finish this project on time until we get the parts.”
Their current goal is to have the facility up and running during the last few months of the school year.
Jordan said, “We are looking at March [to complete the facility] as a possibility but we can’t commit until certain items are received and installed.”
According to the Baldwin website, the Innovation Center is “an interdisciplinary hub that will give students an edge in the 21st-century job market”. The Center will support activities similar to I2, but continuously throughout the school year rather than once a year.
When asked to elaborate on the purpose of the Innovation Center, Upper School Director Mrs. Reed said, “It will take the I2 disciplinary experience into regular classes and provide a place to learn and explore without having to find a place big enough to do it.”
The purpose behind this center is to encourage creativity amongst both teachers and students while also promoting cross-grade collaboration. Instead of finding empty classrooms or using the library, the Innovation Center would provide an open space for teachers and students to facilitate various projects.
If construction continues on its current schedule, students can expect to experience the center during the remaining months of the school year.
