Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics

PROJECT PURPOSE

To build a large space that would include an academic meeting hall/auditorium, an engineering maker space, and demonstration classrooms that facilitate statewide distance teaching/learning. The meeting hall/auditorium would facilitate gatherings among various research and business interests within the Innovation District, the legislature, and private companies and non-profits from within the OKC central business district. The auditorium will have advanced audio/visual capabilities and a robust network that will permit live interactions between those in the auditorium and presenters from locations like the National Institutes of Health, the International Space Station, National Laboratories, etc. In addition to the auditorium, the building will house an engineering "maker space" and innovation labs that will allow for the practical, hands-on application of classroom teaching and theory. We also envision demonstration classrooms that will allow for the remote broadcast of live experiments and interactions with students remotely. This will allow for students in the remote and rural parts of the state where resources are limited and there is a lack of advanced math and science instruction to get the same quality of instruction as students at the Oklahoma School of Science and Math. In addition to this new construction project, we seek funding for the replacement of our school infrastructure including HVAC systems and roofs. The recent COVID situation has heightened our awareness of the deteriorating infrastructure, some of which is approaching 30 years old. To allow for greater public / business and legislative input into this project, we have not gone down the path of hiring an architect to design such a space."

EVIDENCE

The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics, on whose property this building will reside, has a proven track record as one of the top institutions of learning in the United States. Most recently we were ranked 20th out of nearly 20,000 public high schools. Our alumni are now the leaders of businesses, laboratories, as well as doctors and engineers working at all levels of government, business, and industry. When General Electric was evaluating different sites for its world energy research center it cited the location across the street from OSSM as the most desirable because of its proximity to OSSM.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

One population that has been adversely impacted by COVID are students. Our goal at OSSM is to provide educational opportunities to students to achieve to their fullest potentials as well as to provide training opportunities for teachers throughout the state. This facility will help up to vastly magnify our efforts. We likely can increase more than 10-fold our impact directly on students and teachers with this new facility. We feel the general workforce has been adversely affected by the pandemic. We believe this project will help attract business and industry from the technology sector or which relies heavily on technology to Oklahoma or to increase their investment. One such business is Boeing. Our graduates who have started in mentorships/internships with Boeing while students at OSSM and are now working for Boeing.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Success will be measured by the number of people and number of times this facility is accessed and used by students, academicians, scientists, engineers, members of business/industry from the Innovation District, members of the legislature, and members of the general public. An additional measure of the projects success is the number of students, teachers, people from business and industry reached through the use of the facility, more specifically, the interactive capability of the auditorium and the distance learning demonstration classrooms. Another measure of the project success is the number of inventions, patents, new business and industry ventures that may arise from the use of the Engineering maker space

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

One-time project will not need continued funding