Add as a preferred source on Google

Nebraska to Open Boys Town Education Center

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/05/23

The village of Boys Town, Neb., recently announced that the Boys Town Education Center has opened its doors to students in time for the fall 2023 semester, a news release reports. The town is a National Historic Landmark and serves as the headquarters of Boys Town, one of the largest non-profit childcare organizations in the U.S. Boys Town partnered with DLR Group for the building’s planning, design, and construction.

The new facility has a capacity for 450 students in grades 4–12. The site of the campus was previously occupied by Boys Town High School, which was built in 1948. The new facility marks the first time that elementary-, middle-, and high-school students enrolled in the program can come together underneath one roof.

“The new Boys Town Education Center is designed to support all types of learners through a variety of different learning environments, from one-on-one spaces to larger learning commons,” said Vanessa Schutte, AIA, ALEP, Principal and K–12 Education Leader with DLR Group. “Boys Town serves many at-risk students who have endured trauma. For this reason, DLR Group integrated trauma-informed design principles throughout the design of the school, providing the appropriate level of privacy, ease of visibility, and connection to nature. Our priority is to create spaces that respect and support each individual’s needs.”

The facility stands three stories and measures in at 110,000 square feet, according to the news release. Its exterior pays tribute to previous historic Boys Town facilities through brick patterns and the original Boys Town mural. The interior features “exceptionally adaptive” spaces that meet the learning needs of students of a variety of backgrounds and ages. It also offers a STEM-focused curriculum and activities to prepare students for careers in different industries.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • ALAS Announces 2025–26 Award Winners

    The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) recently announced the winners of its 2025–26 leadership awards, according to a news release. Winners will be recognized at the ALAS 22nd National Summit on Education, scheduled for Oct. 15–17 in Chicago, Ill.

  • Pudu Robotics Launches AI-Powered, Large-Scale Floor Sweeper

    Pudu Robotics recently launched the newest member of its MT1 series of robotic floor sweepers, the PUDU MT1 Max, according to a news release. The AI-powered, 3D perception robotic sweeper was designed for use in large, complex cleaning environments both indoors and semi-outdoors, like parking garages and semi-open building atriums.

  • Texas A&M Breaks Ground on Campus Visitor Center

    Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new campus learning hub and visitor center, according to a news release. The 211,000-square-foot Aplin Center will stand three stories and is scheduled to open to students in 2028.

  • 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.

Digital Edition