Summer LABS Highlight
Posted on by Ginger Huebner, Program Director & Communications Manager
Our partnerships with people and organizations across Asheville are a pivotal part of our programming, and this summer was no exception.
With our program at full capacity, serving rising 1st through 9th graders, I wanted to build something distinct for our two oldest grades; programming that would spark their curiosity as they step into the next chapter of their education and their lives.
That goal, paired with my love of collaborating across the community, became Summer LABS. I connected our students with more than a dozen community partners across two-week sessions, each built around a different theme: Medical/First Responders and Food Entrepreneurship, STEAM and Music, Sports and Cosmetology. Students chose the track that interested them most.
In the Medical/First Responders session, students worked with MAHEC's Simulation Lab team on emergency response situations. Leslie Council, MAHEC's Director of Health Careers, came to speak with them about building a career in healthcare as a differently abled person. To end the session, they had a hands-on tour at the Firefighter/EMT Academy at A-B Tech Woodfin that included learning about rescue scenarios, competitions and more.
The focus on Food Entrepreneurship took them behind the scenes at Poppy Popcorn, where founder Ginger Frank led a tour of the production facility. Emily Baron, owner of Asheville Kitchen, taught a hands-on lesson making Vietnamese spring rolls. And Blue Ridge Food Ventures, at the WNC Farmers Market, showed how they help local small businesses by providing kitchen space to develop menu items for catering, food trucks, and more.
The second session was a choice between STEAM or Music. The STEAM section introduced students to visual artist Cleaster Cotton leading a tour through Asheville’s River Arts District meeting artists and discussing what they discovered. They created unique mixed media pieces at my studio - Ginger Huebner Art, and had a tour and had a stimulating discussion with Scott and Chad at Harding Huebner Architects. They worked with the UNCA Skillset STEAM Studio team and got a tour of their amazing workshop space. The Music section was a full and focused time working with Virtuous Music writing, design, and creating a song and music video.
The final session brought basketball training with Will Johnson of Thrill Skills Academy, where students learned about all of the layers of training for those moments on the court, as well as played in multiple scrimmages. The other option was learning about cosmetology Sharquie Jones, from Legends Beauty and Barbershop and Beaute’ by Quie! She engaged students in hands-on skills for the most common hairstyles in this generation - mannequins, irons, dryers, and more - as well as what it takes to become a licensed cosmetologist.
Watching it all come together was a joy, and I'm proud of what our students took away from all of the different experiences. We're deeply grateful to every partner who gave them their time, their workspaces, and their expertise. As the school year unfolds, we look forward to building new partnerships that will grow Summer LABS next year, and eventually open doors to internships and jobs for our graduates as they move through high school.