 | 1.5 LU |
| 1.5 LU |
Room: E145-146
Furnished by: Artcobell
Audience:
Abstract: A major initiative of the Diversity Champions Group is to host workshops on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-related issues in the design of learning environments. This year’s workshop will build upon the success of the workshop session held at LearningSCAPES 2023 and lead into subsequent online workshops at various levels of the organization, including regional and chapter conferences.
The goal of these workshops is to go beyond raising awareness of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – to identify and generate specific, useful, and actionable ideas for implementing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into design processes and design outcomes. Participants will be asked to consider how inherent bias creates our architecture – and schools in particular – as they explore a broad range of topics. Following are topics and top 3-5 action items from last year that we will build upon:
1 – Student Voices
How do we listen to students and reflect their identities and needs in the learning environment to create a culture of belonging?
2 – Holistic Design
How to integrate health and wellness for all learners.
3 – Normativity
How to develop an understanding and awareness of gender- and hetero-normative places and spaces and the impacts they have on our experiences.
4 – Climate Justice
How can we design a climate adaptive learning environment that will inspire, educate, and support the next generation of climate leaders?
5 – Feeding our Future
How do we design spaces that support healthy, sustainable, and instructional food programs for all?
The groups will be formed around these and additional topics to take a deeper dive for focused discussion and exploration on one topic per group. Each group will be facilitated by an A4LE Diversity Champion who will report out to the whole group at the end.
Please bring your ideas, questions, and challenges you see in specific areas of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – a word, thought, sketch, or photograph. If there is a topic you would like to be discussed in a small group, please reach out to the individuals listed with your suggestion. After the conference, your discussions, ideas, and solutions will be compiled into a report to be published online as part of a compilation of reports from past workshops.
Learning Objectives:
Rachel is a registered architect and accredited educational planner in Chicago, IL, USA, who specializes in educational design. Besides practicing architecture, Rachel runs learning environment design workshops for architects, educators, and professionals in related fields, as well as university students in each of those fields.
Ross is a Principal and the Education Studio Lead for Arcadis Architects in Seattle, WA and a former co-chair of A4LE’s JEDI/DEI Committee. He has a passion for culturally relevant, experiential design of educational and community facilities that inspire, promote and embody empathy, and connect learners to their curriculum through the natural environment. Ross’ 3-decade architectural portfolio spans from northern Canada, the UK, to the US, and includes three James D. MacConnell Awards projects – award recipient in 2010 and finalists in 2004 and 2020.
Julia is a Senior Facilities Development Manager with the Los Angeles Unified School District and a co-chair of A4LE’s JEDI Committee. Julia has been working for school districts for the past 20 years to positively impact the learning experiences of the students she serves. She leads the effort to develop, update and align LAUSD’s design standards and educational specifications with its instructional vision. In her professional and personal efforts, Julia advocates for inspiring learning environments that provide all children the opportunity to learn, to grow and to dream.
As an Associate Principal, Kerrie leads marketing and business development efforts for Perkins Eastman’s international K-12 practice. With a background in education and human relations, she understands the dynamics that exist between client needs, services offered, and current industry innovations. An active member of A4LE, Kerrie serves as a Committee Chair for the Northeast Region Board of Directors.
Faye is a school facility planner with Indigenous Services Canada (ISC). Her role is to ensure that First Nations and ISC Regional Managers have the resources they need to develop effective and culturally responsive learning environments. Her education includes B.Sc (Mathematics) B.E.D.S. (Architecture) both from Dalhousie University.
Ruwan is a mechanical engineer and Senior Principal at PAE where he leads teams in highly sustainable projects. Ruwan is passionate about climate and equity; he is a member of Oregon Green Schools, co-founder of Room for More, a group promoting diversity in the workplace, and leader of PAE’s JEDI Committee.
Chelsea is an Interior Design professional with a background in furniture design and public works. She has worked in the Pacific Northwest for the last seven years specializing in educational learning environments. Chelsea is passionate about identifying solutions for educational facilities that both support and inspire students, while promoting sustainable design practices.