Page 51 - ANAHEIM 2019

SESSIONABSTRACTS continued... SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
“Hack” Your School: An Innovators Guide to Future-Focused Facilities!
Damien Schlitt, AIA, LEED AP, BLDD Architects / Shannon Creek, Principal, Mahomet-Seymour (IL) High School / Garden 3 / AIA CEU: 1. 0 LU/ Primary Core Competencies: Educational Visioning / Secondary Core Competencies: Design of Educational Facilities
As an innovator, it’s clear to you how important forward-thinking schools are to support education in the future. But how do you get reluctant teachers and administration on board when their vision is firmly rooted in the past? Seeing is believing, and “hacking your school” can get everyone excited about new approaches by bringing them to life in your building before the design is ever finalized. This expanded co-creation design process (coined THINK BIG) used by Mahomet-Seymour SD and their architectural design team resulted in student outcomes that surpassed their wildest expectations, transforming spaces from irrelevant to indispensable. The key to the success of THINK BIG
is full scale prototypes, created by “hacking” the existing space (tearing out a few walls and mocking up new ones, while staging the space with furnishings and technology) to cost effectively identify design preferences. Teachers and students test prototypes by holding class in the hacked space, to discover what works and what doesn’t to discover an innovative design solution that will be put to use, by even the most reluctant team members!
Learning Objectives
OBJ #1 uncover big ideas and new approaches
OBJ #2 quickly explore user-designed solutions
OBJ #3 test options with full-scale prototypes
OBJ #4 empower teachers to be champions of change
How School Facilities can Support the Challenges of Student Homelessness
Kaylee & Christina Hayward / Elida Sanchez, Social Service Specialist, Santa Ana Unified School District / Letisia Alvarado, Licensed Clinical Social Worker; Lead Counselor, Los Angeles Unified School District / Helena Jubany, Principal, NAC Architecture / Garden 4 / AIA CEU: 1.0 LU HSW / Primary Core Competencies: Educational Visioning / Secondary Core Competencies: Design of Educational Facilities
In the midst of the housing crisis in California, the number of homeless children continues to rise. Currently, there are more than 202,300 homeless youth in the state, which equates to a 20% increase since 2014. This represents almost 4% of California’s school population in general. In 2018, there were approximately 20,000 homeless students In the Los Angeles Unified School District; that’s a 50% increase from the previous year. Schools need to be aware of the needs
of homeless students, and how to support learning for kids with the social and emotional “baggage” that they often carry with them. It is common for these kids to exhibit introverted behaviors. Shelter children often change schools or school districts frequently, as a result of moving to a new shelter when their time in their previous facility is up, or because they are fleeing from abusive parents, or living with parents who are struggling with mental health issues. It is difficult for them to want to socialize and make friends knowing that they may have to move again. The physical school environment is very important for homeless students, and is often where they find stability and structure
in their lives. Children living in shelters may rely on school facilities to provide a place to do homework, a place to shower, a place for clean laundry, a place to meet with social services, or even a place to receive basic medical care. In