Nation's first gaming and robotics elementary school opens in Greensboro

Walking into the new Foust Elementary School in Greensboro feels a little bit like stepping into the future. 

There’s a wall of lime green zeroes and ones — binary code — in the entrance. The floors are painted with lines resembling electrical pulses moving through a circuit board. Even the stools tucked under desks are shaped like gears. 

The community was invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a tour of the new building Monday night, just under a month after it opened for students. Principal Kendrick Alston says the kids love their new space. 

“Students have been over the moon," Alston said. "When they came the first day and walked into the school, I remember some students saying, like, ‘Dr. Alston, this is really our school?’” 

And it’s no wonder why. A few years ago, the building conditions at Foust were among the worst in the district. But with about $47 million in bond funding, it was demolished and rebuilt as the nation’s first gaming and robotics elementary school. 

Alston says the plan is to incorporate coding, design and engineering into regular classroom instruction, and offer as many hands-on experiences for students as possible. 

“Being the first elementary school to do this is uncharted territory," Alston said. "But we're excited for the possibilities, and having a chance to build something from the ground up that's unique to our school and our community is very exciting.”

When it came time to cut the ceremonial ribbon, a handful of children dressed as the iconic video game characters, Mario and Luigi, ran to join their principal and Superintendent Whitney Oakley on stage. 

This was the third celebration of a new school opening in Guilford County this year. Peck Elementary and Brooks Global Studies had their own ribbon-cutting ceremonies in January.

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.