Page 44 - School Planning & Management, July/August 2017

Building Blueprints { FACILITIES IN FOCUS }
Preparing for the Future
RETHINKING EDUCATIONAL DESIGN FOR A NEW GENERATION OF LEARNERS. by PAM LOEFFELMAN, FAIA
INCREASED GLOBALIZATION and technological innovations promise to seriously disrupt the futures of
young generations in ways yet unknown. It’s difficult to forecast the
types of jobs that today’s
kindergarteners will be
pursuing 15 to 20 years
from now, but we do
know our education models need to acknowl- edge this unprecedented societal change.
Applied Learning, including STEM, STEAM and Career and Technical Educa- tion (CTE), prepares students for the future by connecting secondary education, both with college expectations and labor market demands. Programs emphasize learn-
ing about applied sciences and modern technologies, and provide career prepara- tion and trade skills. These programs are growing in popularity because of their abil-
ity to engage and connect students to real-life lessons.
This move toward Applied Learning is not a trend, it’s a pivotal shift in
thinking and engagement towards prepar- ing students for success in the world of to- morrow. With this shift comes a change in the way we create educational space: rather than space driving pedagogy, activities and the skills needed to prepare student-centric initiatives are driving the way we design educational environments.
How Applied Learning Drives Spatial Design: Two Real-World Examples
DLR Group has partnered with sev- eral districts to create educational spaces where the students of today can engage in programs that allow them to carve a clear pathway to certificates and degrees.
The Missouri Innovation
Campus | Lee’s Summit, Mo. | Designed in Collaboration with Gould Evans
The Missouri Innovation Campus (MIC) represents a next generation model for educa- tion — the most accelerated degree program in the country that uniquely combines industry and academic partnerships. The
CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE)
44 SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / JULY/AUGUST 2017
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PHOTOS BY NEIL KOPPES, COURTESY OF DLR GROUP