Studio 107: From Metal Shop to 21st
Century Multi-Media Studio
Great things are happening at Pilgrim High School. Classrooms are being transformed and repurposed, allowing the school to leave one century and enter into the next. Part of the transformation included the new state-of-the art multimedia studio, Studio 107.
The idea for this transformation started with teachers Andrea Place, Tech Education, and Chris Pratt, Music. They approached the administration with their plan and got the green light. Along with two teachers from the English Department, they applied for a $95K grant from the Champlain Foundation and were quickly approved.
Transforming the old metal shop into a studio became a group project and took three summers to complete. Everyone from teachers to students pitched in to help cleanup the space, paint and construct the studio. Everything from power washing the walls and moving equipment, to building the green screen and constructing the sound booth was done with the help of the student body and faculty.
While the grant helped pay for the actual building of the studio, when it came to the materials needed (infrastructure), Place stated, “We had to beg, borrow and steal to get the job done.” In doing so, the team scouted out equipment and resources from recently closed Warwick schools to see what they could acquire. Taking on this project was quite the feat, so the team reached out to other schools that had similar studios, like LaSalle Academy, Bishop Hendricken and New England Institute of Technology (NEIT), for advice. All of the above institutions were a great help.
Studio 107 allows students to learn how to use audio/visual equipment on a professional level. Students are learning to work with not only media equipment, (cameras, microphones, lights, etc..) but also the software needed to edit for the final product. These projects are incorporated into other classes. They are able to take lessons learned in English classes, for example, and translate them into creative audio and video projects. Projects have included short screenplays made into movies, interviews with administrators played during lunch periods, and adapting the rhythms of Shakespearean pentameter into projects.
The student community at Pilgrim has shown great respect for the studio and the equipment being used. "To date, nothing has been broken or stolen in the three years the studio has been in use. The community here has really shown how much they enjoy the new space", said Place.
The success of Studio 107 has also allowed Pilgrim High School to create a Career Technical Education Program (CTE) that was approved by the state in June 2018. Students in this program take video courses, music/audio courses, English courses and a few electives. Over the next few years, they will have students entering this program with their entire prerequisite done, as they will be getting audio/visual content experience in their English classes. As the success of this program grows, Pilgrim will be taking in students from other school districts around the state.
Studio 107 is also forming partnerships with institutions of higher education. The “Advanced Audio” class at Pilgrim is allowing students to accrue Roger Williams University (RWU) credits for a one-semester course over the full year. This allows them to earn 3 college credits while they are concurrently earning their high school credits. The school is hoping to work on an articulation agreement with NEIT to develop a joint program. With the approval of the CTE on the state level, more opportunities for partnerships are opening up.
16 | CURRENT FALL 2018