The recently acquired Cathedral School building.
The Times, They Are a Changing
It’s a far cry from the days of the one room schoolhouse. WSU’s dream of establishing an Education Village is gaining reality as plans move forward.
What is the Education Village? The foundation is literal bricks and mortar, yet the Education Village is really all about outstanding teacher preparation and integrating Winona State University with education and the community in a whole new way and on an entirely new level. And with 20% of WSU students declaring education majors, the project has become central to the future of WSU.
The ambitious plan calls for three university buildings and environs to be renovated: Wabasha Hall (circa 1950’s), the Wabasha Recreational Center (circa 1920’s), and the former Cathedral School (circa 1929). When completed, the Education Village will be a well-designed and integrated learning environment with flexible, state-of-the-art learning and teaching spaces. Labs, classrooms, offices, meeting and community spaces will take a cohesive, sensible form and provide space for the extraordinary preparation of extraordinary teachers and school professionals.
The cost estimate for rehabbing and repurposing the 89,146 square feet is $24.6 million ($5.9 million in the first phase and $18.7 million in the second phase) and bonding is being sought.
Collaborative Spirit
The Education Village as a dream and promise emerged from educators and community members working together to change the future of preparing teachers and learners across the lifespan.
Working together is not such a new concept in Winona, however. A rich history of working partnerships has existed in the WSU College of Education since the establishment of the Winona State Normal School in 1858. Community members joined together to develop a proposal and raise funds in support of establishing a teacher’s college in Winona. According to the 1913 Winona County History, the first School Board in Winona was an educational partnership with oversight of the Winona public schools and the Teacher’s College. These working partnerships still continue today at WSU through the Bush Foundation Teacher Preparation and Effectiveness Initiative called Teach21.
Teacher candidates admitted to the Teacher Education program currently engage in daily learning within Southeast Minnesota schools, primarily Winona Area Public Schools, La Crescent-Hokah, Austin Public Schools and Plainview-Elgin-Millville Consolidated Schools. All WSU College of Education undergraduate and graduate degree recipients experience reciprocal learning in partnership with community schools or agencies.
The Education Village site will provide the context for a multi- layered, completely modern learning environment designed
to encourage intergenerational learning. Every inch of the renovated site will be assessed for the potential use for learning. Working together, whether through early childhood education and the WSU Children’s Centers Wabasha (Madison and W-K) or Professional Development for adult learners, the Education Village will become a hub for learning that upholds the WSU mission of being a “Community of Learners.”
Functionality will be key. Lab spaces will be designed with observation areas and accommodations for university students and faculty to interact with Pk-12 students and their teachers, and there will be specialized areas designed for assistive/adaptive learning.
As communities change throughout Minnesota, future teachers will require more intentional preparation, support and inspiration. The Education Village will be the new protocol for preparing new graduates as they enter the ever-evolving education system.
Tarrell Portman, Dean of the College of Education states, “The Education Village will be THE education jewel in the Midwest. The State of Minnesota national and global reputation will be upheld as leading the way in training teachers, educational leaders, and counselors.” Portman continued, “The work of WSU faculty and community partners through the Bush Foundation Teacher Preparation and Effectiveness Initiative began the dramatic redesign of teacher preparation programs that will shine brighter through the Education Village. I am proud to be a part of such a dynamic, innovative, and visionary approach to touching the lives of children!”
