Inside the walls of the art room at Kearney Middle School is a space where students like 12-year-old Brian Isai can bring their imaginations to life.
“That's insane, because we have to do things that are harder, or even more difficult.” [more fun] more than any other student,” Brayan said.
But his classroom didn't always look as good for students as it does now.
“Initially, this wasn’t meant to be an art classroom or a STEAM classroom. [or] “When you come into my classroom, it feels like we're going back in time about 20 years,” said art teacher Brandon Finamore.
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It was back in November 2023, when members of cybersecurity company Optiv approached Finamore for an opportunity to revamp their classrooms.
“We worked with United Way and Kearny Middle School to develop a plan to determine what they needed,” said Amber Peacher, Optiv’s senior manager of corporate social responsibility. “We started with cosmetic updates, including painting the rooms and cabinets and providing the artwork with new tables that hadn't been replaced since the '60s.”
Optiv employees helped bring a modern feel to Finamore's classrooms while adding touches of technology to the space.
“We donated a 3D printer, a laser cutter, 30 iPad cases, an Apple Pencil, some really cool Lego sets to teach people how to code Lego robots, for example,” Peacher said.
“I thought it was going to be a lot of fun,” said Xavier Sanchez, a student in the classroom.
Xavier and Brian were among 12 Finnamore students who were thrilled to receive a high-tech backpack containing their own laptop.
“It was insane, but I was so happy to be a part of this,” Brayan said.
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So Finamore teaches Kearney students how to use tools like new 3D printers and laser cutters and helps them incorporate them into their daily curriculum.
“I think this is a space that we want more people to be in,” Xavier said.
“There are no limits to what we can do here,” Finamole said.
These possibilities mean more to the Commerce City community than just bridging art with science and technology.
“I think for a very long time we've been on the back burner in terms of financial support, and budget constraints are definitely something we've taken a big brunt of,” Finamole said.
“I think the most important thing is that your zip code shouldn't dictate your access to education and technology,” Peacher said.
Optiv and Kearney Middle School will continue to work together to add more resources for students in other classrooms.
“This really solidifies the importance of this community and it's very important,” Finamole said.
The students themselves have also been able to piece together their feelings of importance.
“It shows that they actually care about us,” Breian said.
