SOUTHFIELD – Lawrence Technological University and West Bloomfield High School celebrated the opening of a “Tech Hub” space in the high school on Orchard Lake Road Thursday.
The university and high school have a history of close to 10 years of collaboration in several capacities, including dual-enrollment classes, internships, summer training sessions for West Bloomfield High School teachers, and special programs for West Bloomfield students interested in engineering.
The 650-square-foot Tech Hub will provide distance learning opportunities – classes taught by Lawrence Tech professors and West Bloomfield teachers, both via videoconferencing and in person – as well as with mathematics tutoring, special classes and events, and admissions counseling.
WBHS principal Pat Watson said the goal is to create as much opportunity as possible for students to consider multiple career pathways, including some they may not have considered before. The Tech Hub also gives Lawrence Tech the opportunity to make WBHS students aware of the multiple affordable educational opportunities available at LTU.
“Our partnership with LTU allows students to participate in exceptional, real-world learning, and further differentiate their learning experiences, all while still in high school,” Watson said.
Lisa Kujawa, LTU assistant provost for enrollment management, called Watson “an extraordinary leader who has developed a unique and innovative experience for his students and teachers” through the Tech Hub and other efforts. She predicted that the relationship between LTU and West Bloomfield High “will last for a very long time.” And, she added, Lawrence Tech was currently planning additional activities and programs for the space.
Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, is a private university founded in 1932 that offers more than 100 programs through the doctoral level in its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, and Engineering. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 15 percent of universities for the salaries of its graduates, and U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best Midwestern universities. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.
The West Bloomfield School District (WBSD) is a residential suburban community of about 24,000 residents. The school district lies within West Bloomfield and includes the cities of Keego Harbor, Sylvan Lake and Orchard Lake Village. With 10 nationally recognized schools, there is a legacy of excellence, and the district continually strives to enhance the educational experience of its students. The district caters to a culturally diverse student body of nearly 5,500 with 46 languages represented in addition to English.