Renderings of the Greenwood Science Scholars’ Laboratory were revealed at a celebratory event on Thursday, July 15, putting students at Greenwood one step closer to having a new state-of-the-art science lab and classroom wing.

“As K-12 school projects go, this is truly unique in that we are designing a state-of-the-art lab facility inside a laboratory school” architect Tim Rosenbury, of Butler, Rosenbury & Partners said.

The wing will house two 1,800 square foot lab/classrooms with associated storage space, three study atriums, faculty offices and a large atrium.

Greenwood students, MSU students and MSU science professors, as well as Summer Science Scholars Academy students from Springfield and across the state, will benefit from the science education and research opportunities available. The latest teaching techniques and exploration of the science of medicine, as well as other areas of science education, will be emphasized. 

Greenwood Lab School students annually win Ozarks Science and Engineering Fair competitions. Many of their projects are based on scientific medical research. Generations of Greenwood graduates have become science and medical professionals.  As an inquiry-based University laboratory school, our mission is to continue to pursue advanced educational techniques, especially in the area of science. With the addition of this facility, Greenwood and Missouri State will offer an educational science atmosphere that is unique to this region.

 

The two classroom labs are named for two former Greenwood science instructors, Dr. Efton R. (Heavy) Henderson, who taught at Greenwood from 1926 to 1966, and Robert J. McLaren, who followed from 1966 and retired in 1991.   Greenwood alumni from these eras will remember the quality of instruction and mentorship provided by these two educators. 

“When I heard of this honor being bestowed upon on me by the alumni, I was overwhelmed,” McLaren said. “I could not help but get a big lump in my throat and more than just a tear in my eye. For a teacher to be so honored by past students and families is more than can easily be comprehended.”