Original News from School News Roll Call
Newport-Mesa Unified School District – Spyder Lab
Opening the door to Room A1 on the Back Bay High School campus is like opening the door to a working print shop in the “real world.” The walls are covered with a blue-and-gray fire-retardant vinyl wallpaper emblazoned with gears and other graphics. Professional machines for embroidering, engraving, cutting, sublimation and more line the room, each one below an acrylic sign that announces what it does. Spools of vinyl and thread hang from pegs in a corner; in another corner sits a collection of 3D printers. A dry-erase job-tracking board is half-filled with assignments. Examples of what can be done with the equipment are mounted on the wall above computers loaded with design programs.
Students serve as sales representatives, office managers, creative directors and more in their student-run business. Every skill students learn becomes part of their digital “employment readiness” portfolio that can be used as an interactive resume when seeking employment.
This is the Spyder Lab, the only one of its kind in Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD). Spyder Lab is a work-based school program that prepares students for entrepreneurship and graphic media careers through a student-run business. It’s an exciting place where students gain valuable experience as they prepare for entrepreneurship and graphic media careers.
Students in this program are expanding their career opportunities while developing their academic skills
in innovative ways. They’re learning about math ratios and color theory while designing logos and flexing their engineering abilities while creating 3D objects. They’re also learning new vocabulary, from technical terms to how to communicate in a professional setting.
Through their involvement in the Spyder Lab, students in this Business Management Career Technical Education (CTE) pathway will graduate with the experience to succeed anywhere. Visit the Career Technical Education webpage to learn more about our 11 CTE Pathways.
