Saint George’s Grace Innovation Center expands hands-on CTE for preK–12 students

Saint George, Maine — The Grace Innovation Center at Saint George School is offering hands-on career and technical education to students from prekindergarten through 12th grade, staff said during a South Bristol Scoop visit.

"One of the programs we have is pre k to 12 career and technical education, which we define as hands on minds on technical learning connected to career and community for all of our students from 4 years old all the way through seniors in high school," said Mike Felton, director of the Grace Innovation Center. Felton said staff work with classroom teachers to add practical, project-based components to lessons across subjects and grades.

The makerspace opened after a community-led effort, said John Clark, the school’s CTE coordinator. "This is a project that the community started, several years ago, 3 or 4 years ago," Clark said, describing how the school expanded room for 3D printing, laser cutting and other equipment by building a separate facility. Clark said he oversees the traditional shops upstairs (boat building, woodworking, welding) while a colleague manages the makerspace downstairs.

Education officials said the center was built with outside support. "We were able to give them a great deal of funding to help them get this building up and going," said Elaine Bartley of the Maine Department of Education Office of Innovation, referring to a federal grant awarded to the state that helped finance the project. Bartley said the department continues to send teachers to observe the site as a model for similar programs elsewhere.

Superintendent Christina Wotton said restoring hands-on learning was a community priority after the district reorganized from a larger regional unit. She described how the center is used before, during and after school: teachers can reserve time through Google Calendar, there are after-school clubs (the stitch club for grades 3–5 was cited) and community volunteers regularly support projects.

Wotton recounted a teacher workshop where participants built birdhouses and used power tools to understand the student experience. "Some of us, including myself, were very nervous because I had never used a large saw to cut ... And then after, it was like, we are women. Hear us roar," she said.

Students interviewed at the center described enjoying robotics and other projects. "Robotics — building stuff," said one fourth-grade student when asked about her favorite program.

Visitors from other districts said they came to learn how Saint George integrates makerspace work with classroom instruction. North Haven Community School educator Maddie Howell and Camden Rockport Elementary’s Megan Daley called the facility "inspiring" and said they planned to adapt ideas for their own schools.

School leaders and visiting teachers emphasized three goals for the program: re-engaging students after pandemic disruptions, preparing learners for current and future jobs, and strengthening the local rural economy so young people have incentives and skills to remain in the region.

The Grace Innovation Center remains a partnership among school staff, community volunteers and state education officials; staff said they will continue offering workshops for teachers and hosting visitors who want to observe projects and classroom integration.

The South Bristol Scoop visited the center during the program’s regular activities; funding and program details were described by staff and visiting state education officials during on-site interviews.