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JBS Honored for Their Support of the District 6 SmartLab Project

Photo of employees from JBS visiting D6 SmartLab

The dream of having a SmartLab in every Greeley-Evans School District 6 elementary, middle and K-8 school has become a reality, thanks to the generous donations of partners throughout the community.

The dream of having a SmartLab in every Greeley-Evans School District 6 elementary, middle and K-8 school has become a reality, thanks to the generous donations of partners throughout the community.

The final four of 21 SmartLabs were installed in schools this summer, making District 6 the largest SmartLab adopter in the country. With these final labs being installed, the building phase of the project is complete. On Thursday at Centennial Elementary School, District 6 and the Success Foundation had the opportunity to honor and celebrate with executives from JBS, who helped make this district-wide project possible by investing $1.6 million to sponsor eight SmartLabs through their Hometown Strong initiative.

“This has been such an amazing community effort and we are extremely grateful to JBS for their partnership and support,” said Julie Hill, Executive Director of the Success Foundation Serving Greeley-Evans Schools. “It was critical to install a SmartLab at all schools to ensure equitable access to this type of learning and JBS really stepped up for our students.”

SmartLabs engage all learners in a hands-on approach in which Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines are integrated. Learning is highly personalized, empowering students to shape their learning to meet their individual interests and abilities. SmartLab learning contributes to the development of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, and effective application of technology and creativity.

The SmartLab Project was inspired by District 6 Superintendent, Dr. Deirdre Pilch. “After seeing similar learning environments in another district, I felt SmartLabs could greatly benefit our children and aligned perfectly with our Innovation2030 strategic plan,” Pilch stated. “SmartLab learning is allowing all students to build a foundation in STEM and explore career opportunities
from an early age.”

JBS leadership witnessed SmartLab learning first-hand during a celebration at one of the newest JBS-sponsored SmartLabs at Centennial Elementary School. Dr. Deirdre Pilch, District 6 Superintendent of Schools, Michael Mathews, District 6 Board or Education President, Wes Tuttle, Assistant Superintendent for School Leadership, Angie McDowell, Centennial Elementary Principal, and Julie Hill, Director of the Success Foundation all had the chance to express gratitude and share the positive impact JBS has made on District 6 students. The highlight, however, was hearing from students themselves.

“I’d like to start by saying thank you to our sponsors for providing the SmartLab to our scholars at Centennial Elementary,” Charlie, 5th Grade Student said. “The SmartLab has changed the way I learn because now with all the supplies, I’ve learned how to make a moving car with gears and how to code Ozobots to complete various tasks. The SmartLab is an important part of my education because when I’m older, my career could involve gears or other things we do in the SmartLab.”

“We are extremely proud of our involvement in this meaningful and impactful project for our community,” said Nikki Richardson, JBS Head of Communications. “At JBS, we believe in the power of education and in providing access to different types of learning. We are grateful for our ongoing partnership with District 6 and the Success Foundation through our Hometown Strong initiative.”

Success Foundation donors funded 90 percent of the initial SmartLab installation costs, totaling almost $4.2 million with JBS contributing $1.6 million. Community support continues to sustain all labs through mill levy override funds. For more information about SmartLab learning environments, please contact the Success Foundation at info@d6successfoundation.org.

JBS is a leading global food company that has its US headquarters located in Greeley. The Hometown Strong program is a $100 million community investment initiative that was created to strengthen the regions throughout the US where the company’s team members live and work. Visit hometownstrong.jbssa.com to learn more.

News Release provided by:
Julie Hill, Success Foundation
juliehill@d6successfoundation.org