Engaging Educators to Reimagine the Learning Environment

The pilot design project that launched Building Future, a district-wide reimagining of learning environments, was the spark to realize District 34’s innovative vision for learning success which prioritizes spaces that provide the spark for curiosity, connection, collaboration and creativity. When Building Future is complete in 2024, District 34 will have over 240 new and renovated learning spaces in which students are the beneficiaries of a vision that their teachers have helped realize.

Alison Keller  |  Brian Engle  |  Ron Richardson  |  Samantha Blum

Safety and Security Strategies for 21st Century SchoolsNewton Middle School – A Comprehensive Approach

When RTA Architects was retained in 2019 to design the new Newton Middle School, neither the school district nor the state of Colorado had K-12 school security design standards. RTA’s task was to create a school environment that was both progressive in terms of education and embodied current best practices in school safety and security.

AIA  |  Brian T. Calhoun  |  CPD  |  Ericka Everett, AIA, CPD  |  LEED AP BD+C

Dancing With the Yeti: The Formation of Rock Ridge School District

Rock Ridge School District’s mission is to embody the standard of “Best in the World” and foster the 21st century skills of Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Citizenship, Character, Entrepreneurship, and Global Competence. The ambitious vision to design “Best in the World” facilities and programs along with the complex process of engaging the community while designing three schools simultaneously presented both challenges and opportunities.

AIA  |  Hailey Wrasman  |  IIDA  |  John Pfluger, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP  |  LEED AP  |  NCARB  |  NCIDQ  |  WELL AP

Meet Mark Hubbard

Meet EDmarket's Chair of the Board, Mark Hubbard, president of Paragon Furniture. Read more about Mark and how he views EDmarket’s role as the "aggregator of industry expertise, including technology providers, furniture manufacturers, educators, curriculum content creators, architect & design professionals, and more."

Mark Hubbard

EDmarket —A Community of Industry Leaders Charting the Path for Students and Educators

EDmarket is focused on bringing our members and the education industry thought leadership and current information around how technology, pedagogy and space are impacting teaching and learning. Let us know your needs or, more importantly, how you can contribute to the dynamic industry dialog happening among active EDmarket members.

Jim McGarry

The Crippling Disease of Moderate Success

The overwhelming majority of salespeople have been lulled by moderate success to a place where they are hesitant to pursue excellence, weary of reaching for their potential, tentative about embracing any new ideas and afraid of stretching beyond today’s comfort zones.          

Dave Kahle

Promoting Inclusion through Community-Driven Learning Environments

Schools and educational facilities are of central importance to any community’s future and development. As such, they should be planned and designed as an organic and authentic part of the communities they serve. In underserved areas, this can mean addressing long-neglected needs, history, and traditions to foster a sense of belonging, accomplishment, and connection.

Brian Minnich, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB

EDmarketplace Classroom Showcases Buying Consortium Vendors

Attendees at EDspaces 2022 in Portland, Oregon, had the opportunity to learn in five unique classrooms designed by leading architects and design firms for the majority of education sessions being held during the three day event. One of those classrooms — Shifting Sands — provided a unique challenge to the design team to come up with a concept for a modern classroom for adult learners that incorporated products from nine companies participating in the EDmarketplace buying consortium.

Adrienne Dayton

Community Involvement in Facility Design: How a Pandemic Produced Positive Change

The importance of flexibility and adaptability in our school designs has arguably never been greater. We must seek opportunities to engage key stakeholders with technology, and we have to prepare our students for a workplace that may involve working remotely or in a hybrid model.

AIA LEED AP  |  Jody Andres, AIA LEED AP

Designing Modern CTE Classrooms: Four Keys to Success

The career and technical education (CTE) that students experience today is very different from the old vocational model of a generation ago. Modern CTE is about preparing students for both college and a high-demand career in rapidly evolving fields such as medical science, IT or industrial technology while still providing a path for students who […]

Sue Ann Highland, PhD

Designing New Classrooms to Support Neurodiverse Students

A great deal has changed in how we support autistic and special needs students in the classroom. To understand how best to provide furniture and classroom structures to support neurodiverse students — including those with autism, disabilities, and learning differences — the first step is to understand the new language and teaching approaches.

Leslie Stebbins

Peeling Back the Layers: What Education Can Learn from the Savannah Bananas Baseball Team

The Savannah Bananas have a Fans First mentality. They don’t make decisions based on what is going to make them the most money. They make decisions based on what will make the fan experience the best in the world. That is what we should be doing for our students — creating the best possible experience for our kids so that they are left feeling prepared and nurtured for the real world after graduation.

Matt Rogers