MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) —  Mobile County Training School held a ribbon cutting Friday morning for the expansion of their science lab. The new lab will allow students to get hands-on experience in their environmental-related curriculum.

This comes after Birmingham-Southern College’s “Stemming the Tide initiative” awarded them a $1.25 million grant from the National Academy of Sciences to help students become more interested in learning about science. The grant will be spread over a five year span. 

Safety equipment for students to use in the lab as well as tables, stools and recycling bins were also funded with the grant. 

Faculty say this is an opportunity for science to be a relevant part of students lives.

“We were blessed to get these upgrades,” said Monica Cleveland, Mobile County Training School’s science department chair. “We have different resources they brought to us from tablets, goggles, aprons, everything that’s needed in a science lab and so now our students can come in and experience the love of science.”

Roald Hazelhoff, the director of Southern Environmental Center at Birmingham-Southern College says his goal is to get students engaged in science in and out of the classroom.

“If you can make studying interesting and stimulating, you’ll pick that book up afterwards,” said Hazelhoff.

The new lab is accompanied by a redesigned curriculum. Birmingham-Southern College will collaborate with the teachers at Mobile County Training School to modify the way students learn. A part of that is them knowing how to grow fruits and vegetables.