By Khalida Sarwari
A San Jose high school today celebrated the opening of a new $6 million, 13,000-square-foot engineering building.
The career technical engineering building was designed to accommodate a curriculum provided by Project Lead The Way, a national nonprofit that prepares students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
San Jose High School was the first of four schools in the district to implement the program, said Karen Fuqua, a spokeswoman for San Jose Unified School District.
The new building allows for more hands-on learning for students, Fuqua said.
“What they’re learning, they’re doing,” she said. “This gives them every tool they need.”
Currently, 572 students are enrolled in various classes through the program. Classes started two weeks ago.
Courses offered include engineering design, principles of engineering, digital electronics, biotechnical engineering, and engineering design and development. Each class is 50 minutes long.
Additional courses in civil engineering and architecture, aerospace engineering and computer integrated manufacturing will be added in the future.
The building’s open architectural design features visible cross beams, trusses and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning ducting.
The two-story building contains five large classrooms equipped with electronic interactive white boards for instruction and student presentations. The rooms also have windows that look out into other classrooms so that students can interact with one another, Fuqua said. The furniture inside the classrooms is on wheels.
The building also has a computer lab with state-of-the-art computers and a robotics lab, where students can construct robots.
“The building brings a fresh spark to the school,” Fuqua said. “There’s a saying at San Jose High School – ‘It’s all about Bulldog pride.’ I think this amps it up. The kids are excited, the staff is excited, and teachers have more pride when things like this are accomplished.”
A group of school and district officials had the idea for the construction of the building three years ago. Two San Jose High School teachers, Steve Novtony and Steve Adamo, were part of a team that designed the building, Fuqua said.
Funding was provided by a career technical engineering school facilities grant that came from Proposition 1D, an initiative passed by state voters in 2006, along with matching funds.
The grant allows eligible schools to apply for new construction funding, remodeling and reconfiguration funding, and/or funding for career technical engineering equipment.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening was held this morning.