KCK business teacher re-imagines school space as student-led classroom coworking
August 24, 2018 | Austin Barnes
Nobody’s going to tell you what to do here, Sheyvette Dinkens said passionately. The Wyandotte High School business teacher recently began transforming her space at school into classroom coworking.
“I want students to be able to guide their own education,” she said. “I want to be able to facilitate their learning, and I want them to make the choices.”
The bell rang on Dinkens’ coworking idea at the end of the 2017-2018 school year. She and her students toured several Kansas City coworking sites and researched their inner workings, ultimately envisioning an alternative learning environment with an entrepreneurial edge, now dubbed Suite 1886 — in honor of the year Wyandotte High School was established.
“If we have business students that are trying to develop entrepreneur skills, then I think they need to know the environment that a lot of entrepreneurs are working in,” Dinkens said.
Students’ innovation skills are being put to the test as Suite 1886 takes shape, she said. The students who fill Dinkens’ Applied Business Development class are leading the project, she added.
The group is currently working to secure sponsorships and donations –– both monetary and in the form of furniture/accessories –– to overhaul the dated aesthetic of the nearly 100-square-foot classroom.
Click here to check out an Amazon wishlist of potential donations for the Suite 1886 space.
The students will decide how the coworking space operates and assist in its management, Dinkens said.
“There’s so many relationships that are built within coworking spaces that it’s amazing,” she said, highlighting the collaborative efforts the environment could inspire for students. “I want students to come back to school and mimic that same thing with their peers.”
Sixty-eight percent of people who make use of coworking spaces found themselves better focused, Dinkens said, calling it a perfect model for producing enhanced student learning outcomes.
She hopes the space will be fully operational by December.
Featured Business
2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
How a van life competition, web series could prove Grandview-founded startup’s revenue model
Social media platforms don’t need to rely on advertisements and algorithms to generate revenue, Wesley Elder said — instead they can partner with brands and creators to create unique and authentic experiences. The Jump, a Grandview-based social media platform focused on creating a positive space where users can bond over common interests, has kept its…
KC’s first Black-owned brewery reveals future home: Historic redevelopment project on Vine Street
A piece of Kansas City history — now an in-the-works east side business development near one of the city’s famed entertainment districts — is expected to be the home of KC’s first Black-owned brewery, Kemet Coleman confirmed Monday. “The cat’s out of the bag,” said Coleman, revealing plans for the soon-to-debut Vine Street Brewing company to…
Making home haircuts fresh again: KC barber reimagines barbershops with mobile service, app
Michael Thurman had a 1-year-old child at home and another baby on the way when COVID-19’s outset left him without work for eight weeks, he shared. Contemplating how he could have more freedom and stability as a barber, the wheels began turning beneath Thurman’s scalp. His idea: create a traveling barber platform — now known as…
White House vs ‘startup slump’: New executive order puts feds on notice in bid to reverse innovation decline
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Victor Hwang is the founder and CEO of the Right to Start movement. Click here to learn more about Right to Start, a campaign to drive economic recovery and advance economic justice. This commentary originally appeared on Inc.com and is republished with permission…