Wisconsin Lutheran High School (WLHS) today broke ground on a $6.7 million fine arts wing addition during a groundbreaking ceremony held at the building site at 330 N. Glenview Avenue.
The building expansion will allow for specialized classrooms for fine arts classes, engineering, textile arts, and food technique classes to support WLHS’s STEAM philosophy.
All of these classes support WLHS’s commitment to building the next generation of Christian leaders in Milwaukee.
“This is an exciting time for WLHS, as we look to build on our current arts and engineering programs for our students,” said Rev. Ken Fisher, president of WLHS. “These courses are key for our students to receive a well-rounded education.”
WLHS’s STEAM philosophy and programs emphasize the important role played by the arts in student development, alongside core studies that compose the STEM curriculum: science, technology, engineering and math.
Adding an arts component to the traditional STEM curriculum is found to have additional benefits, such as closing the skills gap.
Twelve decades of WLHS students and alumni were represented at the groundbreaking to pass along the shovel used to break ground for the building.
State Senator Leah Vukmir, State Representative Rob Hutton, Milwaukee Common Council President Michael Murphy and Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch were also in attendance to lead the expansion ceremony.
“I am happy to join students, educators, and community leaders to celebrate the groundbreaking for Wisconsin Lutheran High School’s new Fine Arts and Science facilities,” said Lt. Governor Kleefisch.
“My hope is that these students will deepen their appreciation for the world around us both in art and scientific innovation.
Creativity in the classroom can take many forms, and these state-of-the-art facilitates will equip students to pursue careers from graphic design to engineering.”
Construction is expected to be complete for the 2014-15 school year.
