Programs

ARTSNOW PROFESSIONAL LEARNING RESIDENCY

The Center for Innovative Teaching (CFIT) is a teaching and learning destination unique to Barrow County that provides professional learning opportunities to teachers and innovative learning experiences to students through multiple programs and partnerships. The highlight of CFIT’s 2017-18 academic year was the Teacher Pilot Program, facilitated by non-profit partner ArtsNow Learning.  The pilot program featured a year-long series of standards-based lessons integrating theater, dance, and visual arts.  Utilizing innovation through collaboration, the pilot program simultaneously engaged 26 teachers in professional learning and nearly 650 fourth through eighth grade student in content mastery.  No longer a pilot program, this process will continue into the 2018-19 school year with many returning pilot program teachers being joined by additional teachers who will be experiencing the program for the first time.

ARTS & INNOVATION MAGNET

For the upcoming school year, CFIT’s instructional spaces will more than double in order to not only continue the existing arts integration program, but also to launch Barrow County School System’s first ever Arts & Innovation Magnet Program where over 100 fifth and sixth grade students will experience CFIT’s innovative approach to teaching and learning every day of the school year.  Expanded learning spaces and partnerships will include Farm to School experiences in the new CFIT Learning Garden, part of a USDA grant-funded program called “Know It, Grow It” through the UGA Department of Crop and Soil Sciences.

Barrow FIRST Robotics

Housed within the Ed Morrison Makerspace & Discovery Lab at the Center for Innovative Teaching, Barrow FIRST Robotics is a collaborative project of the Barrow County School System and Barrow County 4-H that has been thriving since its inception nearly fifteen years ago. Over the years,  Barrow FIRST Robotics has provided elementary, middle, and high school students with both recreational and competitive opportunitites to learn science, technology, teamwork and leadership through robotics and innovative problem solving.  The legacy of the Barrow FIRST Robotics includes past elementary and middle school FIRST Lego League (FLL) robotics teams, as well as high school FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams. Barrow FIRST Robotics has developed such a well-respected reputation across the state of Georgia, that they regularly host regional FIRST Robotics Tournaments and League Meets at the Center for Innovative Teaching.

For the 2021-2022 academic year, Barrow FIRST Robotics is fielding the following competitive robotics teams.

• FLL Team #3085 AIM RoboClovers
• FLL Team #48816 RMS RoboClovers
• FTC Team #18597 CloverBots