Planning Phase

Key to the philosophy of the Center’s curriculum is “Project Based Learning,” acquiring educational knowledge or skill sets by engaging in real-world projects and scenarios.

The Innovation Center includes specialized spaces to support the intended curriculum and a diverse range of academic programs. “The Five C’s” of the Shihadeh Innovation Center provide guiding principles for how learning happens in the Center and connects to the larger global job market:

1. Critical Thinking - Student owned projects that solve authentic problems through critical thinking with engaging student designed activities requiring reflection, revision, and renewal.

2. Creative Thinking - Projects blended with personal choice and developmental solutions while finding resources and discovering answers to in-depth questions for contemporary problems.

3. Citizenship - Student-owned learning processes, mentorships with community partners, and a visible celebration of place.

4. Collaboration - Mastering competencies while acquiring time management, perseverance, and team conceptual understanding for the modern workplace through project and blended instructional strategies.

5. Communication - Projects based on interactive community partnerships with businesses focusing on a “work local, think global” directive requiring student-initiated collaboration.

Prior to building design, a programming and planning phase sought to explore how space can support “Project Based Learning.” Engagement with Winchester Public Schools educators and leadership directly informed the range of programming that the Innovation Center ultimately includes, with a focus on flexible, collaborative learning environments and high-intensity, “realworld” workshops. In addition, preference was expressed for less “finished” spaces with the ability to adapt easily, as needed.