Call to Action: 
Utilizing a Design Thinking approach to problem solving, participants will:

• Leverage Performing and Visual Arts programs to elevate the learning experience across all academic programs.
• Enhance the level of facility equity district-wide utilizing the Arts.
• Understand the role space plays in igniting curiosity in middle school students interested in the Performing and Visual Arts.

Abstract: The Arts have taken a back seat to learning – forever it seems. But there’s no denying the explosion of professions rooted in the Arts that now range from Animation and Visual Effects to Digital Media, and User Experience & Interaction Design, to name just a few. So instead of isolating the Arts in their own area of a school, what if we integrated the Arts programs with the Core Academics to maximize collaboration and elevate learning across all programs? What if they weren’t considered electives but part of the core academics? And what if we started this approach with Middle Level Scholars? Join us as we share the story of one District, Clark County School District in Nevada, that was bold enough to tackle these questions. Brandon McLaughlin, AIA, NCARB, ALEP, Assistant Superintendent of Construction and Development Division at CCSD will lead a dynamic conversation on how the District decided to acknowledge this new direction by creating a set of Middle School Educational Specifications focused on the Arts. This daring approach is poised to impact learning across the District for generations to come!    

Learning Objectives:

1. To acquire new approaches for how the Arts can be integrated into the Core Academics to elevate learning across all subjects.
2. To conduct their own informed conversations with educators, administrators and STUDENTS on how to integrate the Arts for a seamless learning experience.
3. To understand the role the Educational Specifications can play in defining how space can support this integrated approach.
4. To understand how properly designed and equipped Studio spaces can maximize efficiency by supporting a range of Performing and Visual Arts programs.