Clayton, North Carolina – Aug. 17, 2017 – One27Homes, a Clayton-based residential and commercial construction company, is proud to be a supporter of Cooper Elementary School’s revitalization. The locally owned business, along with several community partners, donated $25,000 toward the school’s new STEAM Lab, a notably updated space for students to learn science, technology, engineering, art and math. One27Homes also donated nearly 200 hours of labor to help with the refurbish.

The donation and resulting facility and education enhancements support the re-branding to Cooper Academy as the Title 1 school aims to improve test scores and overall education standards. This includes several changes to the building and curriculum for the 2017-2018 school year, all of which will be celebrated with the community at a grand re-opening and ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday, Aug. 22, at 2 p.m.

For the new STEAM lab, One27Homes worked diligently this summer to ensure it would be ready in time for the first day of school. It features iPads, chrome casting capabilities, hands-on learning tools, a 3-D printer and more, all led by a recruited teacher specializing in these fields.

“As a Clayton native and former Cooper Elementary student, I felt compelled to step in and support this revitalization,” said Reid Smith, founder of One27Homes. “We wanted to provide more than just a check, and knew the proposed STEAM Lab could completely change the school and its students’ futures, so it was an easy decision to back it. Our hope is that students can be inspired, discover their passions at a young age and be armed with the tools needed to help them reach their goals.”

The financial contribution was made possible through a $15,000 donation by One27Homes and a combined $10,000 donation from the Parkview and Ashcroft Communities, Jaclyn Smith Properties, HomeTowne Realty, and Adams & Hodge Engineering. Because One27Homes also donated renovation services, all of the collective $25,000 could be leveraged specifically for the lab’s technology and curriculum. To see through the project, One27Homes will also continue providing complimentary construction work on the lab in the future.

The Cooper Academy grand re-opening and ribbon cutting ceremony, hosted by the Clayton Chamber of Commerce, will take place Tuesday, Aug. 22, at 2 p.m. in front of the school, located at 849 Mial St. Tours of the new school and STEAM Lab will be provided immediately following the ceremony.