Date/Time: November 1, 2025 | 10:45 – 11:45 am

Room: 157-158

Audience: Architects, Engineers, Educators, Facility Personnel, Contractors / Suppliers / Manufacturers, Consultants

Call to Action:

• Conduct an integrated needs assessment workshop. Bring together educators, community members, and planners to identify overlapping educational and community requirements. Use the results to inform a holistic design approach that supports student resilience and community success.
• Create a sustainability impact matrix for your next school design project. List potential sustainable and multi-functional design elements, then evaluate each for its impact on learner health, agency, and environmental sustainability. Use this to prioritize design choices.
• Develop a case study analysis framework focused on inclusivity and resilience. Apply this to at least three diverse examples of learner-centric school designs, particularly those in marginalized communities. Use the insights to inform your next educational facility design.

Abstract: Physical space, thoughtfully designed, can be a powerful catalyst for change. It can tangibly communicate the values we hold dear and actively foster the critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration skills we seek to instill in our students to be ready for the future. Cultivating a sense of ownership and self-direction paves the way to an ideal future for our students. This vision is rooted in the principle of critical thinking — empowering students to navigate and shape their world proactively, ensuring it works in harmony with their goals and aspirations. The key takeaway from this session is an in depth review of strong examples and research showing intentionality in designing educational spaces as the crucial foundation: where starting with a vision aimed at profoundly impacting the education system while uplifting the surrounding community has paved the way for transcending traditional educational models at these schools. Beyond the physical environment—the thoughtful design of the school—it's the encompassing ecosystem and robust support infrastructure that collectively nurtures resilience in learners and educators alike. This holistic support network is instrumental in fostering well-rounded development and success for the students. One example we’ll explore is the growth trajectory of Thrive Elementary in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Thrive Elementary is one of the first public charter schools of its kind in Canada offering an accessible and challenging K-6 program with high expectations for both academic achievement and student well-being. Thrive exists to provide a unique kind of public school for those who need it most. Not everyone grows up with the same chances, and Thrive’s mission is to help close that opportunity gap for low income families. After two years of existence, Thrive’s enrollment is at 100%, the results are beginning to be reflected in the growth that many students are demonstrating through jumps in reading levels, attendance, confidence and engagement at school. They are currently looking to expand into the junior high world. The next school would open as a kindergarten to grade 7, adding grade 8 the year after and then grade 9 in the third year of operation of that site, based on the foundation and best practice of other schools like High Tech High.

Learning Objectives:

1. Develop a holistic plan that integrates educational system requirements with community needs, explaining how this approach supports student resilience and overall success.
2. Create actionable strategies that connect community needs, strategic plans, and school protocols to inform both the physical design and programming of new educational facilities.
3. Evaluate the impact of sustainable, durable, and multi-functional school design choices on learner health, agency, and environmental sustainability.
4. Analyze and apply lessons from real-world case studies to demonstrate how learner-centric design can foster inclusivity and resilience, particularly in marginalized communities.