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SCHOOL BUILDING WEEK |
School Building Week 2007 Highlights & Photos
Reinforcing the connection between school facilities and student learning, School Building Week, April 30 to May 4, creates greater public awareness of the importance of well-planned, healthy, safe, high performing, and sustainable buildings that enhance student performance and community vitality.
In collaboration with the CEFPI Foundation & Charitable Trust, the Council of Educational Facility Planners International, the National Association of Realtors, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and more than 35 other organizations partner in this weeklong commemoration. Ushering in the week on April 30, National Healthy Schools Day included seminars and conferences promoting healthy school facilities in 16 states. Thomas A. Kube, executive director, CEFPI Foundation & Charitable Trust and the Council of Educational Facility Planners International, welcomed the gathering at the National Building Museum, offering a special thanks to the National Association of Realtors for the primary role they played in this year's School of the Future competition and the wonderful opportunity they afforded the students. Applauding the students in his keynote address, Mark Ginsberg, senior executive, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Board of Directors, U.S. Department of Energy, remarked that they play a key role in the design process of our schools and indeed, the future of our communities. He commended them for their keen understanding of energy efficient buildings. "These students are representative of the passion and the motivation all children have to help improve their learning experience. Their example is a call to action for us to listen, involve them in the planning and design process, and share their vision of schools of the future," remarked Tom Ellis, vice president, Tandus and CEFPI Foundation chair. "The CEFPI Foundation & Charitable Trust is proud to be at the forefront in bringing children, educators and facility planners together to create quality learning environments for all students," Ellis concluded. Roy Sprague, AIA, CSI, CEFPI president and assistant superintendent of facilities planning and construction, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, thanked the jurors for their outstanding job in evaluating the students' projects. Noting the enthusiasm of the students and the unique qualities of their projects, Judith P. Hoskens, REFP, jury chair and senior educational facility planner, Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. commented, "It was a treat to listen and interact with these bright and engaging students." Tom Ellis and Roy Sprague presented trophies to the winning schools. A highlight of the awards ceremony was the presentation of cash prizes to the winning schools. JoAnne Poole, Poole Realty, Glen Burnie, MD and 2007 National Association of Realtors State and Political Issues Group Liaison, presented the checks to the winning students, whose beaming faces acclaimed the success of this year's event. Students from Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School in Old Lyme, CT, took first place and were presented with a check for $2,000 for their innovative project, which they located near a river to produce electricity using hydroelectric power. The project incorporated solar energy panels, domes to increase natural light, a beautifully landscaped central courtyard, air purifiers, water filtration systems and great connections to the community. Second place honors and a cash prize of $1,500 went to Canyon Breeze Elementary School in Avondale, AZ. The project included a cluster of adobe buildings housing the different grade levels, surrounding a central courtyard. The design incorporated virtual reality learning opportunities in each of the buildings for students to explore history "up close and personal." The students developed partnerships with community businesses and also displayed great sensitivity to those with special needs. Norwalk Middle School, Norwalk, IA, was the third place winner. Receiving $1,000 for their creative design, the students demonstrated powerful role-playing and teamwork in their planning process. Their design integrated the landscape into the learning, with plantings appropriate to the climate of the region and a greenhouse where students could grow plants and vegetables to be used in the cafeteria, and the community could take gardening classes in the evening. The project also included a central atrium with interior glass walls, providing natural light throughout the building. Charles Hart Middle School, Washington, DC and Olympic View Middle School. Mukilteo, WA, received honorable mentions and $500 for their projects. Utilizing recycled materials from their original 3-story school building, the Charles Hart students' design included a green roof, a central atrium tower, large windows for natural light, and photovoltaic panels. Olympic View students chose to redesign their video studio and editing room to organize and increase storage facilities, update production equipment with energy saving systems, and improve lighting and ventilation. Middle school students across the nation began work on their School of the Future project in the fall of 2006. Community members, architects, realtors and teachers worked with the students, leading them through a program focused on the impact of good planning and design on the built environment. They explored indoor air quality issues, energy-saving measures, environmental stewardship and the importance of community involvement, which they incorporated into their imaginative and innovative designs. Students were required to follow a curriculum addressing the national math standards for middle schools, which demonstrated the practical application of math and other disciplines in their daily lives. The competition gave these students an opportunity to think about the learning environment, express their creativity, experience the planning process and demonstrate where they thought they could learn best. Five regional finalist teams were selected to travel to Washington, DC for the final leg of the competition. Following a day-long juried selection process hosted by the American Federation of Teachers, the students spent two days exploring the nation's Capitol. They met with U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, (D-CT) and Rep. Tom Latham, (R-IA) at a breakfast in their honor on Capitol Hill. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) invited the Olympic View Middle School students to meet in her offices and students from Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School met with Senator Joseph E. Lieberman. The students were the guests of honor at a stellar evening reception hosted by the National Association of Realtors. Following welcomes by Thomas A. Kube, executive director, CEFPI; Roy Sprague, AIA, CSI, president, CEFPI; and JoAnne Poole, Poole Realty, Glen Burnie, MD and 2007 National Association of Realtors State and Political Issues Group Liaison, Tom Ellis, vice president Tandus and chair, CEFPI Foundation & Charitable Trust, introduced the finalist teams, who gave brief overviews of their projects. 2007 School of the Future Design Competition Winners
2007 School Building Week Jury
Judith Hoskens, REFP
Darryl Alexander
Lindsay Baker
Victoria Bergsagel
Scot Bini
Richard H. Dewar, AIA
Victor Dzidzienyo, AIA
Philip J. McGinnis, CCIM, GAA
Judy Marks
David L. Schrader, AIA
Blanche Sheinkopf
Yale Stenzler
National Healthy Schools Day, April 30 Coordinated by the Healthy Schools Network in collaboration with the CEFPI Foundation & Charitable,Trust, the U.S. EPA, the American Public Health Association, National School Plant Management Association, Collaborative for High Performance Schools and Green Seal, parents, advocates and agencies across the nation celebrated National Healthy Schools Day. Five National Healthy Schools Heroes received awards at the School Building Week Awards Ceremony on May 4, 2007. Barbara C. Worth, associate executive director, CEFPI Foundation & Charitable Trust, was named as a National Healthy Schools Hero for dramatically expanding School Building Day, from a simple one-day, then one-week, DC-based event, into a nationwide week-long celebration of the multiple ways in which school buildings impact children, personnel and communities. Other winners included Carolyn Smith-Evans, president, National Education Association's (NEA) Healthy Schools Caucus; Ramona Travato, founding and former director, U.S. EPA Office of Children's Health Protection; Tolle Graham, coordinator, Massachusetts Healthy Schools Network; and Joellen Lawson, honorary president, Connecticut Foundation for Environmentally Safe Schools. Schools across the country participated in the School Building Week Walking School Bus. The Walking School Bus brought parents, teachers, children and community leaders together to focus on the importance of physical activity and community participation, while improving the air quality and saving fuel.
Historic Schools Day, May 1
Senior Citizens in Schools Day, May 2
Schools as Centers of Community Day, May 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
