Date/Time: November 5, 2026 | 1:00 – 2:00 pm

Room: TAHOMA 3

Abstract:  Opening in 1873, the Concord Road Farmers Club served generations of area farmers as a place to meet, socialize, and sell goods. Nearly 150 years later, Lindbergh Schools acquired the property and is honoring its rich history with the construction of the Lindbergh Farmers Club, a district-wide STEM and place-based educational program, site, and facility centered around St. Louis’ national leadership in AgTech.

By leading a community-based visioning process that included administrators, educators, industry professionals, and students, the district established a shared mission to inspire students through sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship, and connections with the globally recognized St. Louis AgTech community.

Participants will examine how the district used this vision to design a unique educational program that will create a “living building” on a working farm. We will share best practices for designing instruction within flexible lab spaces and outdoor classrooms that support “hands-in-the-dirt” experiences—from kindergarten life cycle studies to high school AgTech and GIS integration. We will delve into the numerous sustainability features including low embodied carbon, low EUI via tight envelop design coupled with ground sourced geothermal system, all of which are put on display for student learning and in support of health and welfare on numerous levels.

Join us to learn how to leverage local history, community partnerships, and high-performance design in support of authentic, real-world learning environments that guarantee impactful student experiences.

Learning Objectives:

1. Facilitate Impactful Community Visioning: Learn how to lead a community-based visioning process that engages diverse stakeholders to uncover unique institutional needs and establish a credible, shared long-range goal.
2. Design for Place-Based Learning: Articulate the impact of specialized learning environments on teaching and learning by examining how specific facilities support authentic, place-based curricular experiences.
3. Space Design for Pedagogy: Demonstrate the ability to translate educational programming into functional and flexible learning facility design which encourages interaction and gives equitable access to a diverse range of users.
4. Ecology, Sustainability, and Wellness to Support Tteaching and Learning: Discover how design of the site and building support the District’s mission through lenses of ecology of site, resiliency, sustainable design, and physical/social/emotional well-being of occupants.