STEAM Learning Spaces Improved, Redesigned At Ridgewood School With $635K Grant

RIDGEWOOD, NJ – An initiative at Ridgewood High School that launched in 2021 with facilitation of a $635,000 grant will showcase three projects that support hands-on learning and provide experiences that prepare students for opportunities beyond high school and careers, school spokesperson Charlene Labenda said.

At 1 p.m. on Oct. 8, the Ridgewood High School Alumni Association is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of the Duffield STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) Initiative on the front lawn of the high school.

As the cornerstone event of the three-day Homecoming Weekend, the ceremony will showcase the projects made possibly by Ridgewood High School alumnus David Duffield, Class of 1958, and the Dave and Cheryl Duffield Foundation.

"Cheryl and I are pleased to support Ridgewood High School's STEAM Initiative," Dave Duffield said. “Ridgewood High School provided me an exceptional education, and my hope is the Duffield STEAM Initiative will inspire the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs."

The foundation's grant — the largest single donation ever made in the history of Ridgewood Public Schools — enabled the district to introduce production equipment and machinery to the Innovation and Makerspace Lab, revamp the Media Lab with digital video equipment and a professional recording booth, and transform the foods lab into a professional culinary space.

All three spaces will be open to the public via student ambassador tours, where guests will see sample projects made with the new equipment.

“The community of Ridgewood is extremely grateful for the kind, generous donation from Dave and Cheryl Duffield," RHS Principal Jeff Nyhuis said. “A project like this will have a lasting impact on students of Ridgewood High School for many years to come."