Page 41 - School Planning & Management, September 2017

CASE HISTORIES { REAL-WORLD SOLUTIONS }
Bringing 21st-Century Furniture into the Classroom
WHEN STRATFORD Schools opened in 1999, every class- room was designed to look the same — so no matter which school you walked into, it looked familiar, providing school identity and sense of place. But the group stays on top of trends and embraces 21st-century education – including con- temporary furniture. This need for change lends itself perfectly to a partnership with School Outfitters, who specializes in meet- ing the demands of today’s education.
As installations began, students soon found themselves going from old brown and chrome traditional book-box desks to new sleek furniture accented with maple. Every grade has different colored chairs to set them apart — and with bulk order sav- ings, even the teachers got contemporary desks. For collaboration in the classroom,
Stratford chose the Learniture Hex Desk, which the students use in groups of two, three, five, or any number they need. And every classroom from second grade and up has casters on desks and chairs for easily moving in and out of groups.
Perhaps the biggest indicator of suc-
cess is that there is nothing Stratford would have done differently — from the furniture choices to the ordering and installation. “To make it through and do four schools, and have it done beautifully — it was seamless. And I don’t think there’s anything we would change,” said Stratford Purchasing Manager, Pat Dorsey. Not only was everything delivered in time for the schools’ first days, the students and teachers love their new furniture.
School Outfitters loves being a part of success stories like Stratford’s, and values these partnerships — and are happy their
Stratford Schools partnered with School Outfitters to create modern 21st-century learning spaces that fostered collaboration in the classroom.
partners see it the same way; as Dorsey said, “I literally could not do my job with- out School Outfitters. It’s a phenomenal company, the customer service is superior, and I felt like [my reps] were with me every step of the way.”
www.schooloutfitters.com
Next-Generation Learning Spaces Prepare Students
DRIVEN BY THE WICHITA Public Schools District to create a forward-thinking, flexible and
collaborative environment for 21st-century learning, our L’Ouverture Career Explo- rations and Technology Magnet School
in Wichita, Kansas undertook a major classroom renovation project to outfit 18 classrooms (K-5) with innovative furniture and media technology solutions.
The initial project which began in May 2016 was done in partnership with educa- tion solutions provider, School Specialty (SSI) and its Projects by Design (PbD) team, to model two classrooms for the second and fifth grades. This encompassed installing flexible and mobile seating that would trans- form the traditionally fixed environment into an adaptable setting suited for various teaching and learning styles. The new fur-
nishings were well-received by our faculty and students, and the district decided to expand the project to another sixteen K-5 classrooms and the library in 2017.
It is all about giving students the option to sit where it is most conducive for their learning, and this could only be possible with the right furniture and equipment.
Crucial to developing a 21st-century learning environment is the ability to support different teaching approaches. Our team worked with the School Specialty/ Projects by Design crew to implement a combination of flexible, mobile and soft seating solutions from its Classroom Select line, including NeoMove and NeoRock furniture, as well as products from vendor partners such as Smith System, MiEN and Media Technologies. In particular, the Neo- Move and NeoRok seating help students
Creating a forward-thinking and flexible learning environ- ment was made easier for Witchita Public Schools because of innovative designs from School Specialty.
to move gently (forward, backward or side-to-side), facilitating a calming effect and increasing their concentration and engagement. SPM
www.schoolspecialty.com
SEPTEMBER 2017 / SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 41