Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Next-Generation Learning Spaces Prepare Students

  • 09/01/17
Witchita Public Schools

Creating a forward-thinking and flexible learning environment was made easier for Witchita Public Schools because of innovative designs from School Specialty.

Driven by the Wichita Public Schools District to create a forward-thinking, flexible and collaborative environment for 21st-century learning, our L’Ouverture Career Explorations 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 education 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 transform the traditionally fixed environment into an adaptable setting suited for various teaching and learning styles. The new furnishings 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 to move gently (forward, backward or side-to-side), facilitating a calming effect and increasing their concentration and engagement.

www.schoolspecialty.com

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Illinois State University Breaks Ground on College of Fine Arts Transformation

    Illinois State University in Normal, Ill., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts transformation project, according to university news. The series of new constructions and renovations will upgrade spaces in Centennial East, the Center for the Visual Arts, and the Center for the Performing Arts, as well as replace the existing Centennial West facility with a new Commons Building.

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).

  • University of Oklahoma Announces New Campus Master Plan

    The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., recently announced that it will soon launch a new, comprehensive Campus Master Plan to guide the campus’ physical development during the next decade, according to a news release.