Teachers need opportunities to be learners, too.  Working with unfamiliar tools, wrestling with a problem, and experiencing the satisfaction of getting something to work.  That’s learning.

That opportunity brought Square One Education Network to Michigan Virtual’s Innovation Design Studio in Lansing for a two-day workshop focused on autonomous vehicle technology. For the educators participating, it was a chance to build technical skills and consider what those experiences could make possible for their students.

For Square One, it was another way to advance a mission that starts with empowering teachers.

Supporting teachers to open doors for students

Square One Education Network is a Michigan-based nonprofit that connects K–12 students and teachers with hands-on STEM learning. Its work brings together professional learning, student engineering challenges, and industry connections to help young people explore technical careers.

Teacher preparation is central to that approach. Square One’s workshops introduce emerging technologies and give educators resources to use them with students. Participants receive hardware, print and digital materials, ongoing technical support, and access to a network of educators and industry partners.

Jason Beatty, Square One’s program director, explained, “Our primary mission is to empower teachers to provide highly engaging and authentic STEM learning opportunities for their students, but we also offer six unique grant-funded student engineering competitions for those who are interested in taking that learning to the next step in a fun and competitive environment ”

Ultimately, he said, “The goal is to provide great experiences for kids.”

Rediscovering the beginner’s mindset

For Jack Pierick, who teaches engineering and conceptual design at University Prep Science and Math High School in Detroit, Square One offers opportunities to expand what he can bring to his classroom.

At the workshop, that meant working through the relationships among programming, sensors, steering, and other components of an autonomous vehicle. It also meant remembering how unfamiliar learning can feel.

“I feel like a student, and I am a student again.  That apprehension of not knowing yet, then making mistakes as I learn is the experience teachers need to remember as we teach,” Pierick said.

He described the excitement of receiving new equipment, followed by the challenge of making everything work together. The experience reconnects him with the uncertainty students encounter when they try something new and the confidence that can grow through persistence.

That is a valuable dimension of professional learning: educators gain technical knowledge while experiencing the learning process from their students’ perspective.

A space that supports the work

The setting helped support that experience.

Beatty pointed to the Studio’s multiple display screens as especially useful when educators needed to examine technical schematics.

“They really liked having the four 86-inch screens,” he said of participants.

Dan Trahey, Automotive Teacher from Hartland High School, learned about Square One from a colleague.  He and a fellow teacher came to ensure the content and activities they provide for students is based in the latest technologies and engaging projects.  “This was a comfortable room for this kind of project so we could spread out materials and had everything we needed close by”, said Trahey.

Pierick also highlighted the connectivity, displays, and adjustable lighting. Beatty noted that Michigan Virtual’s Lansing office offered a central location as Square One works to serve teachers across Michigan.

These practical details reflect the purpose behind Michigan Virtual’s Innovation Design Studio. With flexible furnishings and instructional technology, the space provides educators with opportunities to explore nontraditional learning environments while engaging in meaningful professional learning.

A workshop like Square One’s puts that purpose into practice: the room supports educators as they learn, experiment, and prepare to bring new possibilities to students.

Connecting people and technology through a shared purpose

Michigan Virtual’s mission is to “maximize learning and teaching by bringing together the best in people and technology.” Its vision is to “be Michigan’s leader for innovation in education.”

Square One’s emphasis on equipping teachers and engaging students through authentic projects offers a natural connection to that work.

Both approaches recognize that expanding learning opportunities takes investment in educators. Teachers need time to explore, access to useful resources, and support as they develop the confidence to try something new.

By welcoming organizations such as Square One into the Innovation Design Studio, Michigan Virtual helps create the conditions for that learning and for the future classroom possibilities that follow.

Learn more about grant-funded Square One Innovative Vehicle Design competitions, open to public and private schools, or explore how Michigan Virtual’s Innovation Design Studio could support your next educator workshop.