After nearly two years of work, the David O. McKay Education Building has a new look, new spaces and important safety upgrades. On Friday, Weber State students and faculty were joined by Utah first lady Abby Cox and students from the Melba S. Lehner Children’s School to help celebrate the building’s reopening with a short ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours throughout the newly renovated spaces.

Julie Rich, dean of the College of Social Sciences & Education, said what happens within the walls of the newly renovated space is profoundly important.

“Weber State continues to lead the way in preparing exceptional leaders and teachers who serve our schools and districts throughout Utah and beyond,” she said. “The students who walk through these doors receive the best training and mentoring possible, thanks to the dedicated faculty and staff who are amongst the crowd today.”

Danielle Brueggeman, WSU student in Teacher Education, said that the time had come to renovate the space.

Photo supplied, Weber State University

“As educators and future educators, we all know the importance of a physical space,” she said. “This place is exactly what we need to represent our program. Most of you know what the old building was like — it was time to upgrade our space. And what an upgrade we have.”

Chad Downs, project manager with WSU’s facilities, told the Standard-Examiner the renovated space got a boost in safety.

“We’ve been wanting to renovate this building for quite a number of years,” he said. “The original building was a 1972 construction, so it’s 50-plus years old. … It’s seismically-sound now structurally. Before, it probably wouldn’t have held up to a major earthquake, because in the early-’70s, they weren’t built for modern earthquake codes. We did add a lot of structural beefing up. You can’t really see that, it’s hidden now behind the scenes.”

What isn’t hidden is several new features within the building, including a much more open facade, 13 classrooms that can seat up to 90 students, a digital media production lab, a maker space known as the “Fabrication Lab,” the Melba S. Lehner Children’s School and Charter Academy and a new outdoor play area for the Children’s School that can also double as an outdoor classroom.

Ryan Cain, associate professor of Teacher Education, said the new McKay is a space for community building as well as a space for innovation.

Photo supplied, Weber State University

“Students and colleagues can participate remotely thanks to advanced microphones and extra screens on the walls of the classrooms,” he said. “Soon, students will be recording podcasts and instructional videos in the digital maker space, opening up new assignment possibilities. Our fabrication lab is a space for high-tech and low-tech crafting. … While the projects we make in these spaces will be important, our main goal is to craft a community of educators.”

Sheila Anderson, associate professor of Child & Family Studies, called the newly renovated space “a true home” for the education school’s mission.

“This building is an investment in human potential that expands our curiosity and capacity to aid all — from toddlers to professionals — in finding their brilliance,” she said.

Cox said she hopes that a new space like this helps turn the tide on what has been a disturbing trend in the state concerning educators.

“I have been, with my team, prioritizing teacher wellness and how do we make sure that teachers have what they need to be successful in their classroom as well as in their personal lives,” she said. “We know that about half of our teachers leave the profession after the first five years, and to me, that’s unacceptable. We need to make sure that our teachers have what they need to be ready, prepared and eager to take on this challenge of educating the next generation. This is a place where that’s going to happen.”

Photo supplied, Weber State University

Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, attendees had an opportunity to tour the newly renovated grounds.