By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor
ALABASTER – Students from Thompson Middle School have been engaged in hands-on learning and exploring complex thought exercises over the summer through the 2026 Warriors Thrive Summer Experience.
Students from TMS are engaged in a summer camp that allows them to work with city leaders to explore how to tackle advanced concepts like city planning through projects that are engaging and educational.
“The middle school years are a vital time for establishing the foundations of reading, math and a love of learning in addition to providing early exposure and excitement for a wide range of college and career options,” said Cori McBride, TMS reading interventionist and a certified academic language therapist in training. “This camp was designed specifically to provide enrichment through research-based instructional strategies and resources delivered by highly effective teachers and counselors.”
Instead of offering a typical approach to a summer camp, McBride said the program aims to provide students with the chance to address real problems and look for solutions that will help their community.
“It’s a free, high-energy program designed to help students thrive through hands-on learning, STEM and the arts,” she said. “Students will tackle exciting, real-world challenges through Project-Based Learning, focusing on math and literacy in a way that’s engaging and interactive.”
As part of that hands-on approach, students recently visited Alabaster City Hall, the Alabaster Police Department and the Alabaster City Schools Central office to hear from city leadership and the school system on current developments in the area.
While at Alabaster City Hall, the students heard from Mayor Scott Brakefield, City Manager Brian Binzer, City Planner Jonathan Bowen and Rec Center Director Bill Wilder, who all explained the process of planning and developing the city’s new recreation center. They discussed renderings, zoning and land use, cost, staffing and listening to the community to offer the amenities residents desire.
“It was definitely a real-world look at exactly what it takes to plan, construct and staff up a facility like this for the community,” Alabaster Public Relations Manager Neal Wagner said. “I think they got some really good insight into what the whole process looks like.”
Later on in the program, city leaders will visit TMS, where the students will present The City of Tomorrow, in which they will take on the roles of city planners to pitch solutions to further improve the community that they live in.
“Our middle school urban planners, tech innovators, and developers will pitch real solutions to elevate our school and community,” McBride said.