At West Magnet Elementary School in Batesville, Ark., the school has just started a new EAST Program. This is a massive deal for the school as it has opened up many opportunities for students to explore new technology and experience EAST. 

Many of the students emphasized how different EAST is compared to other classes. They have to use their initiative to guide their learning with the ability to use new technology and resources.

“[EAST] is different than just doing things like quizzes and tests,” one student said. “We are getting to explore our own interests.” 

While there, the program had brand new equipment that all the students were exploring how to use this year to help their community and school. 

Another one of the students pointed out that EAST allows her to work with her classmates and peers to solve real-world problems. Not only has the new program impacted their academic circle, but also their life and social skills. 

They have learned to be able to speak up more and be able to work in a team cooperatively. They’ve also been able to recognize problems within their community quickly and have become expeditious and better problem solvers. Their facilitator, Ms. Mosier, has been working on organizing the classroom to give her students the ability to explore the EASTverse as new EASTies. 

They’ve enjoyed exploring their creativity on a new level and have been able to see things from other perspectives to truly be effective EAST students. They also have been having a lot of fun this year. Many of them love learning about more inventive technology, such as 3D printers and wide-format printers.

Overall, the new program has been a magnificent contribution to West Elementary and the community, as all the students work to help their town and truly create their EAST program. They can’t wait to see what creative projects and ideas come from the students as they embark on their EAST journey of becoming excellent problem solvers through the new skills they will learn and the unique experiences they will have. As one of the kids said, “EAST is fun.”