Art celebrating the Route 66 Centennial, created by Think Summer students in the Learning Wheel Camp, was featured at Hotel Zazz. The students in grades 1-3 made neon signs and miniature models of businesses along Central Ave.
Cultivating a New Generation of Route 66 Guardians for the Mother Road’s Centennial
Students from Albuquerque Academy share their Route 66 final projects at Hotel Zazz, offering fresh perspectives on preserving the historic highway.
By Sequoia Rudolph, Nob Hill News
Hidden behind the doors of Hotel Zazz, the Zema Vinyl Lounge is typically an intimate speakeasy. On a recent Friday evening, however, it transformed into a vibrant showcase of creativity and history as first- through third-grade students from Albuquerque Academy’s THINK Summer Program unveiled the Route 66 projects they had spent six weeks researching and creating.
Inspired by the upcoming Route 66 Centennial, the young scholars explored the Mother Road’s rich history while imagining new ways to preserve its stories for future generations.
The multidisciplinary program was developed by three Albuquerque Academy educators: Alexa Grodner, who led the culinary component; Desire Vargas, the lead researcher and curriculum developer; and Milagro Tongroni, who directed the architectural and design projects.
“Each of us was responsible for one component of the six-week program,” Grodner said. “The students’ journey followed Route 66 from Los Angeles to Chicago, exploring the sights, sounds and food along the way.”
By combining history, geography, architecture, art and cooking, the program immersed students in the diverse cultures and communities that have shaped the Mother Road for nearly a century.
