Call to Action: Participants will come away with both tangible new methods, collaboratively built during the session, for engaging stakeholders in the design process, as well as a perspective on the value of building stakeholder agency and stewardship of their own learning environments and how to implement such a process in their own work.

Abstract: People support that which they help to create. How might stakeholder engagement not only elevate the effectiveness of design, but also build agency and stewardship of the learning environment for learners, educators, and community members? Vaysen Studio works together with clients to create a custom engagement process that not only results in user-centered, high-performance learning environments; but also lays the groundwork of a change management process allowing stakeholders to step outside their everyday and think about how they can evolve their own thinking and work using the built environment as a tool. With a variety of tools already in our toolbox to spark these conversations, we are continually evolving and inventing new means tailored to specific clients and design challenges. We are the designers of good conversations from the very first kickoff meeting, all the way through the design process to furniture selection and educational commissioning. Together, in a fun, workshop-style environment, we will interactively build and test some new methods for engaging with stakeholders.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the value of stakeholder engagement in the educational environment design process, and how it contributes to creating effective learning environments.
2. Identify strategies for fostering stakeholder agency and stewardship empowering them to take ownership of their learning environments.
3. Understand the value of engagement methods as tools to uncover the deeper “why” making stakeholder conversations more meaningful and enjoyable.
4. Develop skills in designing meaningful stakeholder engagement methods through co-creation.