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New Prairie board highlights first Amazon Think Big Space and accepts $100,000 donation
Summary
At a special May meeting held in the new Amazon Think Big Space, the New Prairie United School Corporation board accepted multiple donations — including $100,000 from Amazon for the Think Big Space and $50,000 for career exploration — and recognized recent student events.
The New Prairie United School Corporation board met in the newly remodeled Amazon Think Big Space at New Prairie High School and accepted several donations to support student programs and the new lab.
Superintendent Dr. Paul White thanked Amazon for its partnership and praised the day’s student activities in the space, saying, “Amazon has been very aggressive and generous in its giving back to our community and school community, with regard to investing in the future and our students.” The presiding officer described the lab as an Amazon/AWS-branded STEM environment equipped with robotics kits, 3D printers, drones, virtual reality and cloud-computing resources and noted the site includes a podcast and video production studio.
Administration asked the board to accept a package of gifts and grants, which the board approved unanimously. Notable items listed by administration included a $100,000 gift from Amazon for the Think Big Space and $50,000 from Amazon earmarked for career exploration field trips, career fairs and related activities. The district also reported receipt of a $50,000 career coaching grant from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education administered with the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce; Heston Hills Event Center donated room charges and a food discount valued at $2,255 for the New Prairie High School top-10 dinner; the New Prairie High School FFA chapter received $150 from DA Dodd; the New Prairie Angel Fund received $100 in memory of Ron Chibiorski; and Olive Township Elementary received $29.15 from Hudson Lake Mennonite Church.
The board voted to accept the donations by voice vote; the presiding officer recorded the motion as passing 5-0. Dr. White noted the Think Big Space will serve not only students but also as a community incubator and teacher training hub for integrating modern technology into instruction.
The meeting concluded with brief board comments celebrating the school year and upcoming graduations.
