Cornell LGR Space Challenges

LGR is going fairly smoothly at Cornell this spring: 58 students, dedicated coaches, etc. We do have a particular challenge with our spaces (unfortunately plural). When the program was beginning, four years ago, the small groups of students fit well into the Ithaca Youth Bureau building. The IYB is a community partner, and LGR was very welcome in the space. Now that the program is much bigger, we need more space, and Ithaca High School, where most of the students attend, would be ideal. IHS only allowed access to seven rooms this year, even though the building is huge. Since we have more than seven coaches, our program is divided between IYB and IHS. This means no guest speakers, awkward-sized student groups, supervisory challenges, carpooling difficulties, and trouble distributing materials.

I definitely want to convince the high school to allow LGR enough rooms next year, but I have learned that simple-seeming challenges with LGR often require a whole lot of effort to resolve. I think if I start trying now, maybe the IHS principal will agree to meet with me sometime before next year’s program!