When we hear the word innovation in education, we often picture teaching models such as blended learning, flipped classrooms, standards-based grading or project-based learning. Those approaches have their place, but after spending the year in the MASSP Innovative Leaders Network, I’ve been able to reflect on the innovation happening in Brown City Community Schools, my own small rural district.
Reimagining a Legacy Program
One of the leading places of innovation in our district is what was once a four-bay auto shop built in the early 2000s. Brown City had a strong tradition of producing skilled graduates, in large part thanks to a long-standing ASE-certified automotive program led by a dedicated instructor. After his retirement, the program lost momentum and the shop went largely unused.
In recent years, we’ve worked to repurpose the space and give it a new direction that would engage today’s students. By partnering with instructors and supporting their passions, we’ve built a new CTE program in engineering.
A Space That Buzzes with Possibility
Step into the shop today and you’re less likely to smell motor oil, though one car lift remains for lessons on oil changes, along with a couple of tire machines. Instead, you’ll find students gathered around CNC routers, plasma cutters, laser engravers, a lathe, a table saw and other specialized tools. Keyboards clatter as CAD projects come to life, while teens in welding helmets shape steel nearby.
After school, many of these same students, joined by others, compete in FIRST Robotics and MHSEL e-sports matches. This unlikely mix isn’t just a novelty; it’s an intentional approach to innovation designed around the interests of students in our small, rural district.
Beyond Programs: Meeting Needs
Innovation isn’t about chasing buzzwords. It’s about asking: Are we meeting the needs of our students?
For some, the traditional classroom feels uninspiring; they thrive when they can design, build and test. For others, technology is the spark. When we invested in high-performance computers for CAD, students quickly asked, “If these computers can handle 3-D modeling, why not e-sports?” That question led to the creation of our competitive gaming program, which first shared space with the CAD lab.
Critics sometimes dismiss e-sports as a distraction, but research shows that organized gaming builds many of the same skills as traditional athletics: sportsmanship, leadership, communication and teamwork. Players must strategize, adapt and persevere. For our rural students, e-sports offers a team experience without the heavy travel costs, and it builds a sense of community.
That community has grown stronger than we imagined. Many students joined e-sports as their first extracurricular and then branched into other activities, including traditional sports. In fact, 40% of students who started with e-sports have gone on to join other sports or after-school programs. Today, 60% of our e-sports roster is active in additional activities. In a small district like ours, where strong programs depend on student participation, e-sports hasn’t pulled students away; it has encouraged them to get more involved.
Community Connections and Cross-Credits
One of the best parts of rural education is the close link between school and community. Our students have the opportunity to be a part of the Rotary Interact Club. Together, we have built a strong connection with the local Rotary Club, and as a result our multi-trades students aren’t just building for practice; they design and fabricate benches, picnic tables and even an announcer’s stand for the Rotary Club event area in our local park. These projects teach students to listen to client needs, work within a budget, and deliver finished products that their family, friends and neighbors will use. Seeing your work at a town event builds pride and reinforces that school learning has a real purpose.
Lessons Learned
Districts often feel caught between shrinking budgets and the pressure to “innovate.” Our experience shows that innovation doesn’t require large budgets or flashy gadgets. It requires listening to students and using what you already have in creative ways.
Our multi-trades hub was built by repurposing an auto shop and leaning on community and staff expertise. E-sports emerged not from a district initiative, but from students and staff noticing an opportunity. Service projects keep the program grounded in the community and give students the chance to apply their skills to real problems.
We still have work to do, bringing in more students, balancing safety with independence in the shop, and refining assessments to capture both academic and technical learning. But we’ve learned this: When students see the relevance of their work and know it benefits their community, motivation soars.
Innovation, at its heart, is about meeting the needs of students!