New Innovation Center Opens
Hammond offers students pre-kindergarten through grade 12 a thoughtfully developed academic experience, welcomes students to the 2018-19 academic year with its brand new Innovation Center. Designed for structured learning and student collaboration and intended to inspire students of all ages, the 30,000 square foot facility is a home for science and technology-related disciplines and in all areas of academic life at the school.
The Innovation Center represents the culmination of a process where Hammond leadership and administrators, recognizing the need for emphasis on science and technology, worked with Hammond faculty and students to discern their needs and wishes for new classrooms, lab spaces and technology. With those needs in mind, administrators worked with renowned architects, designers and leaders in education to bring to life a space that is high-tech and highly functional. The Innovation Center is also inspiring and adaptive to ensure that these spaces can change over time as technology changes. The result of these efforts means that the Innovation Center’s unique qualities and capabilities give Hammond students unrivaled access to tools for learning.
Innovation Center features:
- The SciDome, an interactive planetarium with 4K resolution that students of all ages at Hammond will experience. The SciDome is not only a tool for science curriculum, but also for art and history lessons. The digital resolution (4096 x 4096 pixels) of Hammond’s planetarium is above and beyond any school’s in South Carolina and on par with museum planetariums in our state. The SciDome’s multi circular software allows in-depth coverage for many STEM topics, including real time space and Earth science and spectacular detail of Earth’s 3D topography and layers, while many planetariums are only capable of covering astronomy topics. The SciDome is also the only planetarium in South Carolina with a SciTouch controller, which allows SciDome administrators to move visuals on the Dome, zoom into places on Earth and manipulate menus on the Dome, all while supporting audience and student participation.
- A sizable 450-gallon saltwater tank that serves as a classroom wall in the biology lab.
- Hanging outlets and a dedicated space for velocity drop experiments.
- Collegiate-level prep rooms and equipment for all science labs.
- A living terrace full of native plants and a greenhouse for studying environmental sciences.
- A maker space with a 3-D printer, laser cutter and video production tools. Students are also learning to code with access to Root Robots in the maker space.
- Meeting spaces with technology that encourages students to work together on projects and run their own meetings.
- The Forum, or the grand staircase, is a space for presentations and a hub for student life as students study and collaborate outside of the classroom.
“The Innovation Center synthesizes research gleaned from schools and university settings around the country about their science and technology centers, with the needs of our talented teaching staff and the needs of our students,” said Chris Angel, headmaster of Hammond School. “The building offers the latest tools for educating our students in the all-important science, technology, engineering and math studies, but it’s also an adaptable space with room for growth and addition of new tools to help our students excel in these areas.”
In a rapidly changing world, Hammond believes its job is to make sure its students are well prepared for what the future holds. With that goal in mind, the Innovation Center inspires curiosity and provides students unique opportunities to collaborate and explore.
Hammond School embraces a future-focused philosophy. The school is committed to instilling in students academic excellence, harnessing the power of curiosity, and helping develop empathetic and global leaders through a well-rounded curriculum. With that goal in mind, the Innovation Center inspires curiosity and uniquely gives students opportunities to explore and collaborate.
