Room: E143-144

Audience: Architects, Engineers, Contractors, Facilities Personnel, Educators

Call to Action: Identify student groups that can take part in your projects and identify CTE program student engagement activities that are outside the box. Identify multiple ways that students could participate in the design process about the ideal learning environment and participate in tangible contributions to the resulting built project that instills a sense of ownership and pride. Identify ways that the A/E/C team can be creative in engaging with students to offer real-world opportunities to experience design and construction from concept to completion.

Abstract: During the planning and engagement phases of the Benson Polytechnic High School Renovation and Addition project, Portland Public Schools nurtured a strong sense of community involvement, drawing significant interest from students, alumni, and community members alike. Benson stands out from typical neighborhood high schools as it admits students through a lottery-based system as the District’s CTE Focus Option high school. Given the widespread interest in this STEAM and CTE-focused school, it was crucial to implement district-wide engagement efforts. The district, architects, and contractors actively sought unique opportunities to interact with students studying hands-on project based learning.

Integration in the Design Advisory Group + Student Co-chair
The Benson Design Advisory Group (DAG), which included 13 dedicated students alongside teachers, staff, alumni, and community members, played a pivotal role. Over 75 applicants vied for positions, demonstrating unprecedented student enthusiasm. The DAG convened for 12 meetings over four years, ensuring diverse perspectives informed the project. The DAG elected two co-chairs to participate in pre-DAG meeting planning & review meetings, with one of the co-chairs being a Benson Tech student and graduated from Benson tech with a focus in architectural drafting.

Participation in the Benson Tech Show
The design and contracting team also actively participated in the annual Benson Tech Show, which is a two evening open house for the school community showcasing student work, immersing themselves in the school’s culture and soliciting feedback from students, parents, and prospective students.

Tiny Home Project
Purposeful integration of students in designing aspects of the project, such as the project’s construction mock-up provided an opportunity for Benson Tech engineering, construction and electric students to help design and build a tiny home that served as a mock-up for construction. This project exemplified a commitment to hands-on involvement.

CTE Courtyard Banners & Cafe Graphic Design
In the CTE courtyard, we aimed to revitalize the space into a vibrant hub. Three building facades faced the courtyard, offering potential for activation. Thirteen banners, designed by students and reviewed with experiential graphic designers on the design team, added visual interest and identity to the space, showcasing photography, graphics, and more. This transformation exemplifies the power of design to enrich community spaces. All CTE programs were represented in the final designs. A compilation of the hands on learning & tools images were used to create a graphic inside the cafe area of the student commons.

Internships
The design and contracting team provided internship opportunities for Benson students throughout the course of the project.

Construction Site Tours
A series of school construction site tours has brought students face-to-face with real-world applications. For example, electrical students toured alongside engineers and electricians, gaining insights into their field and related installation components. Student visits were coordinated with many onsite subcontractors to learn about their expertise and status of their work and installation onsite. The GC also provided BIM coordination demonstrations. In 2023, third-graders from a PPS elementary school toured the school under construction where one student asked, “Do you think I could go to a school like this one day?”

Through inclusive community initiatives, hands-on design participation, and strategic industry collaboration, PPS cultivated an environment where students not only contributed meaningfully but also gained invaluable real-world experiences. This narrative serves as a testament to the transformative power of student engagement in shaping the educational landscape.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn how to navigate obstacles in obtaining staff buy-in by tying engagement strategies to curriculum.
2. Gain understanding in how to create equitable opportunities that invite all students to participate.
3. Learn how to collaborate with your design team to think outside the box when developing engagement strategies.
4. Learn how to harness the power of the construction process as the ultimate real world teaching tool.