“We are really excited to welcome our community to The Dome Experience, and show them what we’re about here,” said Jenna Leinasars, communications specialist.
Residents got to see construction labs, after-school programming, career exploration spaces, as well as some “very familiar spaces” such as the Tiffany gym and John Legend Theater.
“A lot of time and resources have been invested into this building as a whole to make it a space for our entire community,” she said. “It’s really exciting to welcome some of (the graduates) back for the first time since 2008 and show them what we’ve been up to since then.”
Attendees toured several spaces focused on hands-on learning and career pathways, including welding, carpentry and electrical labs, and the Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES) Lab, afterschool programs such as YouMedia, MakerSpace and the Recycle Bike Shop (ReCYCLE), as well as student-led opportunities such as PawPrints Screen Printing & Apparel Shop and the Recording Studio were also featured.
Attendees also visited the John Legend Theater, renovated with the financial assistance of district alumnus John Legend, that hosts dance performances, concerts, theater productions and business events, and the Tiffany Gym, which will soon be used as a district athletic facility for team practices, middle school games and community events.
Sophomore Izabelle “Izzy” Vanderpool said in a video The Dome is “one of the most unique” learning spaces in Springfield.
“This historic building is packed with opportunities to take students learning from the next level,” she said. “The Dome is truly a place like no other where students come to perform, build, create and explore what’s possible.”
The welding, carpentry and construction labs allow high school students to explore whether a career in these fields are right for them as they build hands-on skills and earn graduation credits.
The PAES (practical assessment exploration system) lab trains students with disabilities on job skills for five career units - computer technology, business marketing, consumer service, construction industrial and processing production.
PawPrints is the student-ran print shop that offers screen printing, direct to film heat pressing and embroidery, as well as merchandise.
The recording studio offers a monthly podcast called “Cat Chat” that features guests interviews and highlights from the district.
YouMedia is open for students in grades seventh to 12th to HOMAGO, or “hang out, mess around, and geek out, through workshops, art, baking, audio and more.
Each program aligns with the district’s career pathways, which include business, culinary, digital media, engineering, robotics, construction, healthcare, exercise science and unmanned aerial systems.
These pathways allow students to map out a course for their future based on their YouScience results. YouScience is a career aptitude assessment where students in middle and high school complete several brain games that help provide information on their skill sets, strengths, weaknesses, career paths and more.
Students have to be enrolled in the Springfield district to participate in these programs and afterschool opportunities, except for Makerspace and ReCYCLE, which are both afterschool programs.
MakerSpace is where students in fourth to eighth grade gather to create, invent, explore and discover using tools and materials. The upcoming program “Lift Off” will be held in two session from 5 to 7 p.m. in April where students will design and build rockets while learning how air pressure and force create life.
Workshops are free but space is limited. To register, visit www.scsdoh.org/o/the-dome/page/make-springfield or call 937-505-2998.
ReCYCLE is a six-week program for students in grade sixth through eighth where they learn how to repair and maintain bicycles, and leave with a custom bike they built themselves. To register, visit www.scsdoh.org/o/the-dome/page/recycle-bike-program.
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