Steelcase Grant Program Provides New Classrooms to 13 Schools
Thirteen
schools, ranging from elementary to college, have been selected to
share in
more than $800,000 worth of classroom furniture, equipment and
technology as
part of Steelcase Education's second
annual Active Learning Center Grant
program.
The
13 schools were selected from more than 800 that applied for the
grants, intended
to demonstrate that active learning classrooms contribute to higher
engagement,
better performance and more motivation and
creativity.
The
schools will receive one of flour classroom configurations, each valued
at
$62,000:
- Active Learning Classroom 1, featuring Node
seating for
multi-modal learning;
- Active Learning Classroom 2, with tiered Verb
tables
designed for conversation and collaboration;
- Active Learning Classroom 3, a blended classroom
that
supports digital and face-to-face learning; and
- Active Learning Classroom 4, a "makerspace"
environment
focused on hands-on problem-solving, ideation and experimentation.
Along
with the installation and training in how to use the equipment, the
company and
institution will conduct assessments over the next two years to
discover the
impact of the newly designed spaces on teaching and learning. All the
classrooms will be installed this summer in preparation for the fall
2016
semester.
Grant
recipients are:
"The
new classrooms will promote innovative pedagogical solutions and allow
educators to leverage the capabilities of an environment built
specifically for
improved engagement and collaboration," said Steelcase Education
Director of
Market Development Craig Wilson.
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.