Hilliard City Schools puts a premium on innovative, individualized learning experiences. So when Amazon opened one of its signature Think Big Spaces at our Innovation Campus in 2019, we knew it would be a great fit.
Today, more than a dozen Think Big Spaces are active across the district, serving students from elementary through high school. These creative labs are embedded in our curriculum and designed to offer hands-on opportunities for students of all ages to explore technology, collaborate with peers, and engage in real-world problem solving.
As the name implies, these spaces are designed to grow ideas and knowledge. Even the furnishings are set up to encourage collaboration and creativity. The emphasis is on tech—cloud computing and other Amazon-supported tools—but the hands-on learning and open invitation to be curious make each Think Big Space an incubator for inspiration of all kinds. It’s the sort of synergy the best STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education strives for.
What students do in a Think Big Space varies from day to day. Some days feature workshops led by Amazon trainers on cloud computing fundamentals and emerging tech; other days, students dive into hands-on labs to tackle real-world or simulated challenges.
Competitions like hack-a-thons get students working in teams to solve problems creatively. Amazon also brings in guest speakers and panels featuring industry experts, and we occasionally open our doors to the community for tech nights and project showcases.
This is just one way the Hilliard City Schools is in action to support collaboration among government, education providers, and businesses to solve real-world problems, and it’s incredibly important to build these skills now that AI is a part of our day-to-day lives. We’re grateful Amazon is supporting students as they develop new solutions and ideas as Hilliard City Schools prepares students to be Ready for Tomorrow.
The skills students gain and the connections they forge through these Think Big Spaces can lead directly to careers in Central Ohio’s booming tech economy. But even if they follow a different path, the opportunity to explore, experiment, and think differently is priceless.
We’re thankful for Amazon’s continued partnership and the many ways it benefits our students. As a new school year begins, we’re especially excited to see our Think Big Spaces buzzing with big ideas, bold experiments, and bright futures.
