COVID-19 and Schools
One of the nation’s top priorities is to be able to safely reopen schools for in-person learning. The CDC has recently recommended ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) as a means for disinfecting shared spaces, especially those where ventilation is limited. UVC (ultraviolet-C) light has been proven to help deactivate SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
New School Construction
The construction of Pinecrest Lakes Academy Middle/High School, a Florida charter school, is set to begin this year on the campus of Lake-Sumter State College in Clermont, Florida. The school is scheduled to open its doors to students in August 2022.
Virtual Learning
Gym teachers at U.S. schools nationwide are adapting their curricula to help remote learners stay active.
Weather
The winter storm that blew through Texas this weekend brought up to six inches of snow and below-zero wind chills, and it has left hundreds of thousands without electricity. Accordingly, many school districts around the state have announced campus closures for Tuesday, Feb. 16, and beyond.
Health Policy
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an updated guide on how K-12 schools around the country can take steps to safely reopen—for good.
Renovation
The University of Kentucky has revealed the plans for its new College of Design (CoD). The institution intends to renovate a century-old tobacco warehouse and turn it into a "vibrant and interactive learning space for design students." The design was done by Studio Gang, in collaboration with Louisville-based architect-of-record K. Norman Berry Associates (KNBA).
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/11/21
Construction Technology
Engineering researchers at Purdue University have come up with sensors that can determine concrete strength onsite in real-time, and they're testing it right on campus. The hope is that the technology will help builders speed up their construction timelines safely.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/11/21
Research Projects
Morehead State University in Kentucky has taken delivery of a second space antenna. The 12-meter tracking antenna was delivered to the university by NASA Deep Space Network operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. There, it will serve as satellite tracking station for low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite mission support and as a training facility for students studying in the space systems engineering, astrophysics and astronomy programs.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/11/21
Energy
A Virginia institution is the latest school to cover all of its electricity needs with a more sustainable source. The University of Richmond (UR) has joined campuses in Colorado, Hawaii and Minnesota to match 100 percent of its electricity usage with solar power.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/11/21
Campus Transportation
Harvard University has invested in four electric buses, representing nearly a third of its fleet. The vehicles will replace four similarly-sized bio-diesel vehicles already operating on campus. Each of the new buses, from Proterra, is 35 feet long (similar in size to the current buses), has a seating capacity of 29 and runs on a 450-kWh battery.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/11/21
Returning to In-Person Instruction
The U.S. Department of Education will be running a survey to understand the status of in-person learning at the nation's schools. The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) will oversee the project, dubbed the "NAEP 2021 School Survey." Currently, the agency noted, there isn't enough data to understand the status of school re-opening or how students are learning. The survey is intended to fill that gap.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/09/21
Funding
A Texas school district has refinanced its outstanding bonds, a move that it expects will save nearly $16 million.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/09/21
New School Construction
A high school next door to Yosemite National Park will be replacing seven portables that have been in use for "decades" with a new 6,000-square-foot, five-classroom building.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/09/21
School Construction
A California district has "topped off" its new multi-story, $67 million, 83,000-square-foot STEM school. The Los Alamitos Unified School District has laid the last piece of structural framing at the highest point of the building. The steel beam that was placed included handwritten messages, an American flag and an evergreen tree.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/09/21
New Campus Construction
Oregon State University in Corvallis will be getting a new Arts and Education facility. The university's board of trustees recently approved construction of the $70 million complex, which will host performing arts classes, programs and performances on the campus in a 500-seat concert hall.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/04/21
Construction Funding
San Antonio College is funding construction of a new $13 million science building from a $83 million bond approved by county voters in 2017.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/04/21
Construction Projects
According to the university, the 133,000-square-foot building is intended to support advanced research and economic development initiatives with a design that emphasizes makerspaces, collaborative research facilities and flexible gathering areas.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/04/21
COVID Testing
A company that does develops COVID-19 testing management programs for colleges and universities is bringing its services to K-12 schools. CoVerified is working with Mirimus Clinical Labs, which performs saliva pool testing, to launch CoVerifiedPool, a mechanism for testing student populations regularly and affordably.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/01/21
COVID-19 and Schools
A school district near Denver, CO where students have returned to in-person instruction has deployed a technology in its classrooms and common areas with the aim of killing viruses in the air and on surfaces. The deployment was funded by a Safe Schools Reopening Grant, a one-time, $15 million program offered through the Colorado Department of Education in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
A company that provides "contactless" on-demand laundry and dry-cleaning services has announced a surge of business from colleges and universities, to address the needs of students who are in quarantine or isolation while living on campus.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 01/14/21
Two universities are working together to figure out how to make energy generation, storage and system operation more efficient and reliable, especially in "microgrid" settings.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 01/07/21
A five-campus college in Scotland has distributed a new virtual desktop for its construction students to allow them to work on industry-grade software from home.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 01/07/21
Construction
A $77 million project currently underway will provide affordable housing options for school employees who work for the Alameda school district.
Construction
The 14,000-square-foot renovation includes a construction science lab, manufacturing lab, automotive lab, art room, and computer science and robotics lab.
Healthy Schools
MeTEOR Education, a company that offers turn-key services for space design, announced it is making medical and industrial-grade Continuous Air & Surface Pathogen Reduction (CASPR) technology available for schools. The technology has been used in hospitals and medical centers for some time but it is now available to schools.
Makerspace
Saint Joseph Academy expanded its Makerspace innovation lab to 4,800 square feet, more than four times the size of the former makerspace.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 12/14/20
Energy
A $5.8 million sustainability project to convert steam plumbing to hot water plumbing recently completed the first of eight phases at Wesleyan University.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 12/10/20
Research
University researchers will be studying how to reduce waste in the construction industry, thanks to a grant from United Kingdom Research and Innovation, a public body that supports research and knowledge exchange in higher education.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 12/10/20
New Construction
A community college in southwest Missouri has just broken ground on a new facility to house advanced manufacturing education programs.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 12/10/20
Energy
Georgetown University has taken the next step in its commitment to sustainability by committing to obtaining two-thirds of its total electricity consumption directly from "local" solar farms in Maryland and New Jersey.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 12/09/20
Cleaning
3M’s Commercial Solutions Division launched a new line of products that reduces the labor and product costs associated with routine floor maintenance, according to the company.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 12/01/20
Contests
AT&T, in collaboration with non-profit Connected Nation, launched an online application for the AT&T K-12 Connected Learning Program, which offers free wireless internet service and mobile Wi-Fi hotspots for marginalized students nationwide.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 11/30/20
Lab Equipment
HEMCO, a laboratory equipment manufacturer, released its CleanAire II Ductless Hoods. The hood is designed to meet DH I requirements as defined by SEFA 9.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 11/30/20
Building Solutions, a real estate and facility assessment advisor, announced their “Building Solutions for Brighter Futures” campaign, an initiative that helps make improvements in underserved Dallas-Fort Worth area schools with the hope it will help achieve better outcomes for K-12 students.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 11/17/20
Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District will break ground on a new elementary school at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18 in Baytown, Texas.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 11/17/20
The FreshAir1 Smoking Detection System is capable of monitoring up to 500 square feet and is suited for educational facilities to enforce no-smoking policies.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 11/09/20
Sustainability
Colorado State University signed a deal that will move the Fort Collins institution closer to its goal of shifting all of its energy needs to renewable electricity by 2030.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 11/05/20
Construction
Construction workers are five times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than other kinds of workers.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 11/05/20
Technology
An education technology company better known for its payment solutions is promoting functionality within its software to help schools manage the number of students allowed in a specific space.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 11/05/20
The structure will include a multicultural center and a rooftop auditorium and will largely replace the campus' Rice Memorial Center.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 11/05/20