Make the School Equipment Show your place for keeping up to date on all the latest developments and trends in educational facility design, construction, and furnishing. Here is just a sampling of this year’s dynamic sessions.
Sessions marked with a * are eligible for 1.25 CES credits
from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Green/High-Performance Schools Bob Kobet, Sustainaissance International Eligible for 1.25 CES credits from the American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Once viewed as a passing fad, building green has become the standard in school construction. A school district’s motivation to build green can run the gamut from social consciousness, environmental concern or public pressure, to economic advantages, improvements in the learning environment, or recent changes in state/ local laws. In this session we will look at what goes into making a building green; best practice in sustainable design; what’s new with CHPS, LEED and other certification programs; and what the future may hold.
Science Facility Design Jim Biehle, Inside/Out Architecture Eligible for 1.25 CES credits from the American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Studies show that math and science education is extremely important in order for the U.S. to compete globally, but designing state-of-the-art science facilities for these students is not an easy task. In this session you will learn how to properly plan and design for science education. You will also learn about changes in the way teachers teach science that have given rise to a new generation of designs for science classrooms and new approaches to furnishing those classrooms.
New Spaces from Old Places (Part I) Lee Bauer and Alfred Sena, CEFPI SW Region Eligible for 1.25 CES credits from the American Institute of Architects (AIA)
In tough economic times, renovating a facility might not be an option—but using furniture and equipment to repurpose, remodel and recreate classroom spaces is! In this session, the CEFPI SW Region will hear from teachers about what works in a classroom, look at the learning environment and how a productive learning space can be created; identify classroom layouts and how they can be easily modified to handle various instructional preferences; and forecast furniture needs to help future-proof our schools.
New Spaces from Old Places (Part II) Lee Bauer and Alfred Sena, CEFPI SW Region Eligible for 1.25 CES credits from the American Institute of Architects (AIA)
This session will bring the discussion from Part I to an interactive planning session. We will examine the roles furnishings, equipment and casework can play in providing comfortable, productive learning spaces for students and teachers alike. We will break into work groups and "brainstorm" solutions facing schools in tough economic times, and share the results with the entire class.
When you think classrooms, you think cookie-cutter design. The same is not true of the specialty spaces like libraries/media centers or facilities for sports and athletics. Each of these spaces is as unique as the school and community they serve. In this session, you will review a number of award-winning projects; find out more about what went into the planning and design of these complex spaces; and learn more about the selection and installation of the furniture/equipment needed for these specialty spaces.
An important line item in budgeting for school construction or renovation projects is the cost of furniture, fixtures and equipment. Too often bad timing, poorly written specifications, or a lack of communication between dealer, distributor, architect and district means that the best choices don’t even make the short list. In this interactive session a panel including architects, administrators and suppliers will share their insights on how to identify potential sales opportunities; who to see and how to get in the door; how specifications and bid packages are developed; and special services, warranties, and other items that can make or break a deal.
With an unsettled economy, companies of all sizes are turning to the government as a new market into which they can sell their services and products. For businesses interested in selling to the government and other institutions that can purchase off the GSA schedule, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) offers many opportunities. Today more than ever, the federal government is the largest consumer in the country. It spends nearly $589 billion each fiscal year on contracts ranging from everything from office furniture and school supplies to aircraft carriers. If you haven’t worked with the government before, the thought of entering a world of acronyms and regulatory issues may be daunting. You may be reluctant to deal with the GSA for fear that it will be impossible to successfully serve both GSA and your existing customers. Both dealers and manufacturers will learn that it is not that difficult to get started selling GSA products. Come to this session and learn how to find sales opportunities with the GSA system.
Building Blocks for Healthy Indoor Air Dr. Marilyn Black, Founder of GREENGUARD Eligible for 1.25 CES credits from the American Institute of Architects (AIA)
This program will help designers creating educational spaces, specifically daycare and K-12 schools, achieve the best indoor air quality for those environments as it is fundamental to protecting the health, safety, and welfare of children. At the end of this program, participants will understand the health risks and sources of indoor air pollution in daycare and K-12 facilities. They will discover strategies for creating educational environments with healthy indoor air quality, and identify resources for improving and maintaining indoor air quality.
Considered the most comprehensive overhaul of U.S. consumer product safety laws since the 1970’s, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) significantly affects how children’s products are evaluated for safety. A wide range of furniture and equipment items are regulated by the CPSIA, including products (whether for adults or children) that include any lead-containing paint; products intended primarily for children 12 years of age and younger with lead in their components or in the products themselves; and toys and child care articles. Hear how this new law impacts all channel players from NSSEA attorney Eric Stone, a former director of the Legal Division of the Office of Compliance and Field Operations at the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Come to this session to find out about your obligations regarding third party testing, certificates of conformity, and tracking and labeling requirements.
Societal norms have and will continue to change. Our knowledge base is exploding. Technology is invading every part of our lives. How will this affect teaching and learning? How can we apply what we have learned about learning styles, the physiology and social requirements of learning, advances in technology and new teaching strategies and use that knowledge to anticipate what is next? How can we provide the flexibility in facilities to support these recent and impending changes? How can we make a difference?
Session one will be focused on new trends in education, including applied learning, learning styles, teaming, social structure, emotional characteristics and their impacts on teaching, and learning environments. It will focus on current and near-future best practices. The intent is to be a workshop format with dialog and idea exchange initiated by a focused presentation.
If We Know So Much, Why Are We Still In the Box? (Part II) Paul Winslow, Orcutt|Winslow Eligible for 1.25 CES credits from the American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Session two will build on session one and look toward the current and projected utilization of technology. The intent is to be a workshop format with dialog and idea exchange initiated by a focused presentation. Discussion of anticipated technology advancements over the next 10-15 years and their impacts on the learning environments will be the primary focus. The potential consequences on the social structure of campuses and facilities will also be explored.
Best Practices in School Purchasing Moderator: Jim Brady, AIA, REFP, America's Schoolhouse Council
Panelist: Lauren Volk, LEED AP, Wyoming School Facilities Commission
There are no national guidelines for school construction — at least not yet. Design guidelines, space standards, funding mechanism and purchasing practices are all governed by the individual state. In this session we will tap the expertise of a number of state facilities department directors as well as facilities directors from large school districts across the U.S. to learn more about their similarities, differences and expectations; their guidelines, policies, and purchasing practices; and what is considered best practice in their state.
Trends in Education and Design Deb Moore, School Planning and Management Eligible for 1.25 CES credits from the American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Education is the number one non-residential buildings market for both new construction and renovation projects. In the last five years over $100 billion worth of K-12 construction projects were completed. With growing enrollments, advances in technology, changes in teaching and learning styles, and our response to student needs and parent expectations — the end to this era is nowhere in sight. In this session we will look at the facts and figures about school construction, innovative projects and emerging trends, and the societal and educational forces driving new school design.
In tough economic times, renovating a facility might not be an option—but using furniture and equipment to repurpose, remodel and recreate classroom spaces is! In this session, the CEFPI SW Region will hear from teachers about what works in a classroom, look at the learning environment and how a productive learning space can be created; identify classroom layouts and how they can be easily modified to handle various instructional preferences; and forecast furniture needs to help future-proof our schools.
With an unsettled economy, companies of all sizes are turning to the government as a new market into which they can sell their services and products. For businesses interested in selling to the government and other institutions that can purchase off the GSA schedule, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) offers many opportunities. Today more than ever, the federal government is the largest consumer in the country. It spends nearly $589 billion each fiscal year on contracts ranging from everything from office furniture and school supplies to aircraft carriers. If you haven’t worked with the government before, the thought of entering a world of acronyms and regulatory issues may be daunting. You may be reluctant to deal with the GSA for fear that it will be impossible to successfully serve both GSA and your existing customers. Both dealers and manufacturers will learn that it is not that difficult to get started selling GSA products. Come to this session and learn how to find sales opportunities with the GSA system.
