This month, Emerson opened the doors to its new Community Learning Lab, a dedicated space where local high school students can work alongside current Emerson students and faculty on real projects, at no cost to the schools involved.
The idea started three years ago as a small pilot with a single nearby school. “We had twelve students show up on a Saturday morning, a little unsure of what to expect,” says the program’s founding coordinator. “By the end of the day they didn’t want to leave.” That pilot has since grown into a partnership spanning five local schools.
The new lab gives the program a permanent home — complete with its own equipment, dedicated mentor hours, and a rotating schedule of workshops run by Emerson students as part of their own coursework. “It’s not charity,” one participating faculty member is quick to point out. “Our students get real teaching experience, and the high schoolers get an honest look at what studying here would actually be like.”
Applications for the next intake of partner schools open later this year.
