April 28, 2024
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Woodland invests $831,000 into new science lab

City, school officials cut ceremonial ribbon for new lab; SOCU donates $5,000 for STEM equipment

By Derek Barichello
(From left) Judy Booze, of the Streator Chamber; Dana Stillwell, of the Streator Chamber; Eric Sass, Woodland School Board president; Superintendent Ryan McGuckin; Rebecca Sterling, Woodland School Board; Chad Gilkerson, Woodland School Board; Jeremy Adams, Woodland School Board; Alison Wissen, Woodland School Board; Eric Perhach, Woodland School Board; and Courtney Levy, Streator Chamber executive director, cut a ceremonial ribbon Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, for Woodland's new science lab.

(From left) Judy Booze, of the Streator Chamber; Dana Stillwell, of the Streator Chamber; Eric Sass, Woodland School Board president; Superintendent Ryan McGuckin; Rebecca Sterling, Woodland School Board; Chad Gilkerson, Woodland School Board; Jeremy Adams, Woodland School Board; Alison Wissen, Woodland School Board; Eric Perhach, Woodland School Board; and Courtney Levy, Streator Chamber executive director, cut a ceremonial ribbon Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, for Woodland's new science lab. (Derek Barichello)

Some Woodland students at a prior leadership conference were asked what they would like to see improve at their school, and they answered “new science equipment.”

Administrators and elected officials provided just that.

Tuesday, Woodland School in rural Streator cut a ceremonial ribbon for the new $831,000 lab with assistance from the Streator Chamber of Commerce and accepted a $5,000 check from SOCU for science, technology, engineering and math equipment that includes robots, rovers and probes.

(From left) Woodland instructors Stephanie Flores, Melissa Fink and Hannah Brooks accept a $5,000 donation for STEM equipment from Dana Stillwell, Chris Cox and Angie Kusnerick, of SOCU, as Woodland Superintendent Ryan McGuckin stands behind them.

(From left) Woodland instructors Stephanie Flores, Melissa Fink and Hannah Brooks accept a $5,000 donation for STEM equipment from Dana Stillwell, Chris Cox and Angie Kusnerick, of SOCU, as Woodland Superintendent Ryan McGuckin stands behind them. (Derek Barichello)

Superintendent Ryan McGuckin said the lab dated back to the 1950s and was in need of modern updates.

“We’ve invested a lot of money into the gym and our parking lot, we wanted to do a project that had a more direct impact on education,” said Woodland School Board President Eric Sass. “Our science labs were part of when the original school was built and were in need of an upgrade.”

Science teachers Melissa Fink and Stephanie Flores said students have been excited about the new labs.

Instead of having to share tables, students have their own lab spaces and up-to-date equipment, they said. The lab space connects two neighboring classrooms.

“It’s made it much more efficient and engaging,” said Fink, who teaches a number of high school science courses.

“They are so enthusiastic this year,” said Flores, who teaches junior high science classes. “We just did a project that every student was able to have their our own Bunsen burner. Students weren’t able to have their own equipment before.”

McGuckin said the infrastructure improvements were funded by corporate personal property replacement taxes, money in the education fund and the 1% sales tax revenue in Livingston County.

Woodland students and teachers were not the only ones impressed with the new lab, Sass said recent graduates were giving praise to it.

“They told me it was nicer than their college lab,” Sass said. “We’re happy to have that at Woodland.”