Emily Dean/ Winonan

Winona State University requested full funding from legislature for their Education Village project, which would be granted in the February bonding bill.

State Representative Gene Pelowski said the $22,630,000 cost would go toward renovating multiple buildings on campus including Wabasha Hall, Wabasha Recreation Center and the Cathedral School.

Pelowski said Winona State would partner with area schools to create a new teaching environment where education students will learn hands-on throughout their education.

“Students would get an understanding from the very beginning if they are suitable to be a teacher,” Pelowski said. “The goal is hands-on learning from the beginning and to do it in a state of the art way by using technology in classroom.”

Winona State President Scott Olson said in a previous statement that some area schools are already interested in being involved in the Education Village.

“Rochester Public School Superintendent Michael Munoz is supportive of the concept, as are other superintendents in the region,” Olson said.

Although the funding is not guaranteed, Pelowski said he believes Winona State is in a good position to receive full funding.

The Education Village is a project that has been discussed over the years, Pelowski said.

Recent graduate Ben Rydberg, a former education student said he thinks the Education Village will change how education is taught.

“The Education Village will allow educators to experience further training when bringing their students to the village,” Rydberg said, “and students could benefit from seeing a variety of learning styles from the teaching candidates.”

Rydberg said the best thing education students can learn from the beginning is classroom management, and he believes the Education Village will allow students to learn those skills earlier.