Prep school in San Rafael, Calif., is building a STEM-focused facility

Marin Academy says the Science and innovation Center will enable the school to improve STEM-related instruction.
June 6, 2016
2 min read
Marin Academy
A rendering of the Science and Innovation Center
A rendering of the Science and Innovation Center.

Marin Academy, a private high school in San Rafael, Calif., is building a Science and Technology Innovation Center.

The two-story, 18,340-square-foot facility, under construction on the the northern part of campus, will help the prep school pursue its goal of enhancing science education. The school has about 400 students in grades nine to 12.

"The proposed Science and Innovation Center embodies our commitment to a new and emerging vision for experiential learning inside and outside of the traditional classroom," the school says.

Marin Academy's goal is to "tie science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) together on our campus."

Asumag Com Sites Asumag com Files Uploads 2016 06 03 Marinstem
The Science and Innovation Center under construction at Marin Academy

The nearby Thacher Hall, which now houses science classes at Marin, will be modernized, and some of the classrooms will be repurposed for general use.

The renovation "will relieve pressure on cramped and over-scheduled learning spaces elsewhere [and] provide added space to further develop interdisciplinary coursework and collaboration."

The school says the overall project—constructing the Science and Innovation Center, renovating Thacher Hall and resurfacing of the school's field—will cost $17 million to $18 million.

The Innovation Center will have six lab classrooms (two biology, two chemistry, two physics); an independent study lab for novel research; two innovation hubs, designed to facilitate collaboration between the arts and sciences; outdoor classroom space and a maker’s lab; new outdoor garden and classroom space; and multipurpose outdoor community space.

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Mike Kennedy

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Mike Kennedy, senior editor, has written for AS&U on a wide range of educational issues since 1999.

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