The New Imperative: Communities Designing for Transformation

AIA Continuing Education Provider

PENDING

Date/Time: October 30, 2025 | 9:00 – 10:30 am

Room: 160-161

Room Sponsor: Artcobell

Audience: Facility Personnel

Artcobell

Call to Action:

  1. Move Forward with Purpose: Embrace the imperative of change by aligning community, resilience, and innovation in your learning environments.
  2. Immediate, Pragmatic Steps: Assess & Align: Develop and conduct a rapid audit of your current learning spaces, teaching methods, or institutional priorities through the lens of a school’s vision for learning in the future. Identify as a community one key shift to implement aligned to your data to reinforce real needs and avoid political polarity.
  3. Center on Community Engagement: Gather input from students, families, and educators to redefine your priorities and share the results of this work in a public forum.
  4. “Pathfind” for Innovation: Implement a small-scale, low-risk initiative, such as a redesigned classroom setup, an AI-supported planning tool, or a well-being check-in system, to prototype new ideas and build excitement for future change.

Abstract: Explore how engagement-driven design is reshaping teaching and learning for a post-COVID, AI-empowered era at Gladstone Elementary in Cranston, RI. In this session, building principals Amy and Amy, alongside a dedicated interdisciplinary team of designers, will share their journey of engaging students, families, and educators to support a bold, inclusive vision for the future of learning. This project highlights how authentic, long-term engagement and innovative design—ranging from AI-supported planning tools connected with reimagined learning spaces to student-led art and furniture design projects—have fostered a strong foundation for improving learning outcomes in an increasingly complex education climate. Presenters will share how these efforts are driving academic success, engaging teachers in new practices, and embedding a legacy of collaboration and inclusion in every corner of the school, all driven by the catalyst and commitment to building a “New Gladstone.”

Learning Objectives:

  1. Learn ways to implement critical future-ready design elements in the face of opposition to change: Recognize the value of continuous support and long-term investment in nurturing a school’s evolving needs and successes.
  2. Align Professional Learning with Facility Design: Learn how a thoughtful plan for long-term professional development that integrates with physical space transformation creates a foundation for success.
  3. Equip Educators with Practical Tools: Discover design and program strategies that empower educators to use flexibly designed spaces addressing increasingly complex demands and the diverse needs of today’s learners.
  4. Explore ways to integrate facility features that are resilient to rapid evolution of teaching and learning practices. Understand the tension of Post-COVID School design needs with the digital and technological literacies required to succeed in the era of Co-Intelligence.

Core Competency

Design of Educational Facilities
Aligning Educational, & Community vision with design to support a regenerative mindset for a sustainable and future ready Educational Facility.

Regan Shields Ives, ALEP, AIA, LEED AP
Regan Shields Ives, ALEP, AIA, LEED AP
Principal, Finegold Alexander Architects

Regan is a Principal and studio leader for Finegold Alexander’s educational and cultural projects. She is passionate about design for education and creating spaces that are welcoming, supportive, and inspiring to teaching and learning. Regan is a true consensus builder, leading school communities and large stakeholder groups to collaborative and cost-effective solutions. She is the past A4LE New England Chapter President and is an Accredited Learning Environment Planner.

Amy Corso-Latos
Amy Corso-Latos
Elementary Principal, Cranston Public Schools

Amy is Gladstone Elementary School Assistant Principal in Cranston, Rhode Island, and she is committed to the academic and social emotional success of the students. She strives to promote a sake, kind and fun learning environment where students are encouraged to work together and try new things. As a Principal, Amy believes that relationships between families and school members are essential to make a positive difference in the lives of the students.

Mike Posthumus, MAed / ADM
Mike Posthumus, MAed / ADM
Elementary Principal, Fielding International

Mike has worked in education innovation and 21st century learning environments since beginning his career in 2009. His expertise in formal and informal learning settings has helped him succeed in roles connecting community organizations and K-12 schools through experiential project and place-based education pedagogy. Mike uses human-centered design thinking strategies to inform his process and as a result helps create youth-centered learning environments designed to transform the way students experience learning.

Amy Vachon, MScED / ED.L.D
Amy Vachon, MScED / ED.L.D 
Elementary Principal, Cranston Public Schools

Amy has been an elementary educator for 22 years starting her career as a teacher. For the past 5 years Amy has been an elementary principal for Cranston Public Schools, where she continues to build the foundation for 21st century learning environments and project-based learning for her staff. Amy is passionate about equity, innovation, and student growth, and continues to lead with a vision for transformative education that nurtures creativity, adaptability, and love for learning.

LearningSCAPES 2025 Conference in Phoenix, Arizona

Venue

Phoenix Convention Center
South Building
100 North Third Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004

Dates

October 29-November 1, 2025

Contact

Email: donna@a4le.org
+1 480.391.0840