Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy (NDPMA) in Pontiac has opened a 26,000-square-foot, $7.5-million science, art, and technology wing.
The wing has been added to the shared middle division and upper division building, which houses science laboratories, collaborative-learning classrooms, a robotics lab, a greenhouse, and a fine arts studio.
“Notre Dame’s robotics program has grown to encompass world-ranked programs at its lower, middle, and upper divisions,” says Fr. Leon Olszamowski, corporate president of NDPMA. “This new robotics center complements the space currently provided through our relationship with FIAT Chrysler, a sponsor of our robotics program since its inception.”
The fine arts studio offers natural lighting, worktables, shelving and storage, a kiln room, and a gallery to exhibit student work. The science labs accommodate small group collaboration, and technology will be incorporated into the teacher demonstration station.
The robotics room offers 1,200 square feet of space and has an 850-square-foot adjoining classroom. It includes mobile work stations for computer-aided instruction and robot-building space as well as indoor and outdoor space.
“The education that our young people will now experience in a more enhanced way around the areas of science, art, technology, and math (STEM) is such an important part of their futures,” says Bill Kozyra, a school trustee and former board chair of the school, and president and CEO of TI Automotive in Auburn Hills. “I’m really proud and happy to be part of this process, and I look forward to a lot of future professional scientists, engineers, artists, etc., coming from this wonderful facility.”
The new wing opened with a ribbon cutting on Aug. 17.