Add as a preferred source on Google

KI Announces Winners of K–12 Classroom Furniture Giveaway

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/19/23

Furniture provider KI recently announced the winners of its first-ever K–12 classroom furniture giveaway, according to a press release. Entrants used the manufacturer’s Classroom Planner to design an ideal learning space. Nine finalists came from a total of almost 20,000 votes, and then three teachers received a total of $40,000 in furniture to watch their learning space become reality.

According to the news release, the winners were Dylan Zuccarello of Lawton Chiles Elementary School in Tampa, Fla.; Hattie Llewellyn of New Berlin High School in New Berlin, Ill.; and Marisa Rinkel of Norco Elementary School in Norco, Calif.

“We extend our warmest congratulations to Hattie, Marisa, and Dylan,” said KI’s vice president of education markets, Bryan Ballegeer. “Each of these educators put their students’ safety, agency, confidence, and comfort at the forefront of their designs. At KI, we care deeply at improving the incomes of students, which is why we’re excited to support these teachers by bringing their visions to reality.”

Zuccarello, a fifth-grade math and science teacher, prioritized an open layout and flexible seating to boost student comfort and collaboration, the news release reports. Llewellyn, a high-school special education teacher, chose to support adaptability and variety to help students with various levels of cognitive and physical abilities. Finally, Rinkel, a fourth-grade gifted and talented program teacher, emphasized creativity, function, and safety in her design with multi-colored, mobile furniture.

The six runners-up will receive either ten Imaginasium blips or twenty Ruckus whiteboards, depending on their preference. Winners will see their designs installed in their classrooms in coming weeks, according to the press release.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • California High School Starts Construction on STEAM, Music Buildings

    Tamalpais High School, part of the Tamalpais Union High School District, recently broke ground on two new major facilities for its campus in Mill Valley, Calif., according to a news release. The district is partnering with Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) and Lathrop Construction Associates for the Science Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) and Music Buildings, both replacing their outdated counterparts.

  • How One School Reimagined Learning Spaces—and What Others Can Learn

    When Collegedale Academy, a PreK–8 school outside Chattanooga, Tenn., needed a new elementary building, we faced the choice that many school leaders eventually confront: repair an aging facility or reimagine what learning spaces could be. Our historic elementary school held decades of memories for families, including some who had once walked its halls as children themselves. But years of wear and the need for costly repairs made it clear that investing in the old building would only patch the problems rather than solve them.

  • Texas K–12 District to Build New Elementary, High Schools

    The High Island Independent School District on the Bolivar Peninsula in Southeast Texas recently announced that construction on a new elementary school and a new high school will begin in January 2026, according to local news. Funding will come from a $27.9-million bond passed in May 2025.

  • New eBook Shares Guidelines on Building CTE Centers

    Career and Technical Education (CTE) curriculum and resources provider iCEV recently announced the publication of a new eBook sharing guidance and insights on building new CTE facilities, according to a news release.

Digital Edition