An alternative classroom in Dartmouth is proving to be so successful, some students are opting to stay after school several nights a week.
The room is an old portable in the school yard of Michael Wallace Elementary.
It’s now been converted into a so-called Makerspace, an open classroom filled with gadgets, building blocks and basic electronic materials. Last year, the school’s vice-principal, who is also a teacher, went to a conference in the U.S. where she heard from the man who came up with the concept.
Suzanne McKenzie flew home and instantly put a plan into action. She tasked several Grade 6 students with coming up with a business plan to ask the principal for funding.
“It was almost like a business,” she said. “We had people working on setting…
