Impressive is one way to describe East Aurora School District’s new Resilience Education Center that officially opened Wednesday on the site of its former old and shabby service building at 417 Fifth St. in Aurora to address the mental health and social wellness of those it serves.
But even that word doesn’t quite do justice to what is inside this 30,000-square-foot learning center that will likely be known simply as “The REC.”
If that name sounds cool, well, that’s really the whole idea behind this $18 million project that was funded with federal money given to school districts to help weather the negative effects that the pandemic had on students.
Rather than put the money into staffing and programs that would come to an end when the federal pandemic funding expires later this year, East Aurora decided to build a center that, as East Aurora School District Superintendent Jennifer Norrell told me, “would be here long after we are gone.”
But in order to achieve the goal of this project – mitigating trauma and building resiliency – when this vision was not much more than ideas on a dry-erase board, she and her cabinet decided it “had to be a place where kids would want to come.” So they asked a bunch of their middle and secondary students what would it take to get them to put down their phones and walk through these doors.
Which brings me back to the words impressive and yes, cool.
There are, of course, private group and individual counseling rooms that will be run by highly-trained professionals from universities. But because there’s so much more going on in this expansive state-of-the-art center, it would be hard to know who is coming through its doors for clinical therapy and who is coming for less direct ways of bolstering mental health wellness – and resiliency.
Like after-school tutoring in one of the many study rooms. Or dance and yoga in a spacious studio that features mirrored and windowed walls as well as cushioned flooring.
Or culinary lessons in the high-end kitchen that includes a Sub-Zero fridge and built-in microwaves. Or 2-D and 3-D art classes in a space that not only has pottery wheels but a separate kiln room.
Or gaming and/or coding (an IHSA sanctioned activity) in the E-sports Center.
Or track-laying in the music production studio. Or creating a newscast in the broadcast TV recording studio. Or making a podcast in a separate sound room.
Or after finishing a few of these elective classes, enjoying a fresh smoothie or veggie wrap or individual pizza in the cafe/coffee bar.
There’s even a large two-story open area that features padded stadium seating (with charging stations) for theatrical performances, lectures or just to hang out, as Norrell says, “in the hottest seat in town.”
Like I said, cool.
The Resilience Education Center “is one of those things you envision, and rarely does it come out as you thought,” noted East Aurora Superintendent of Operations Steve Megazzini. “But this is pretty close.”
Over 100 community leaders and other guests got a chance to see that for themselves at the official ribbon-cutting held Wednesday evening. And on Thursday, East Aurora School District 131 staff was able to also tour the center.
But it’s the kids “I can’t wait to get in here,” insisted Norrell, noting that the district will go to 90-minute block classes next year, with students shuttled by bus from their schools to the center and staff rotating in and out.
What makes her even more excited is how this building will be used by so many in School District 131. High school juniors and seniors will take part in the advanced industry level electives, while seventh- through 10th-graders can attend after-school activities hosted by staff and other community partners.
Not only will The REC be a place where students can come for classes, tutoring, summer camps or meetings, it will also be available for families, including those with small children who can take advantage of its weekend and night programs designed to foster healthy preschool development.
In other words, said Norrell, “a space where everyone would want to enter.”
As I had expected, “the community was blown away” by the building and the resources that will be offered at The REC, confirmed East Aurora School Board President Annette Johnson when we spoke Thursday afternoon.
“These kids are not only getting a cool center to go to but it will provide training for futuristic jobs. And that’s a win/win for the community,” she said.
dcrosby@tribpub.com
