FOUNDATIONS

At the recent LearningSCAPES 2023 conference in Chicago, an assembly of pioneering educators and architects convened under the auspices of the Association for Learning Environments. In this innovative milieu, Education Design International experienced a defining moment, garnering the prestigious Kelly Tanner Innovation Award and earning the title of Most Valuable Player of 2023. This accolade not only recognizes our unwavering commitment to educational design excellence but also highlights the revolutionary impact of our suite of applications on learning environments worldwide.

This prestigious award shines a light on our groundbreaking suite of applications: EduSPACE, SPACE, and PATH. Together, these tools represent a leap forward in aligning educational spaces with pedagogical goals, creating environments that foster learning and growth.

Our suite of applications is the modern incarnation of the Educational Facilities Effectiveness Instrument, a tool we pioneered in 2008, which has been utilized to evaluate over $2 billion worth of school facilities worldwide. From Washington DC Public Schools to UNESCO schools in Jordan, our impact has been global and profound.

Over the past two years, we have refined and distilled the essence of this system, culminating in the creation of EduSPACE, SPACE, and PATH. These applications are designed to be accessible, customizable, and available on both iOS and Android platforms, ensuring that they can be readily utilized by schools and school systems across the globe.

SPACE, for example, empowers schools to measure and quantify the educational value of their learning environments, both before and after construction, ensuring that capital expenditures are directly aligned with educational objectives. EduSPACE offers a data-driven model to guide spending decisions, promoting financial efficiency, and eliminating wasteful expenses.

In terms of cost impacts, our suite of applications is a game-changer, especially for underserved communities. The tools allow for the identification of “low-hanging fruit,” spaces that can be transformed at minimal cost into high-functioning learning and social environments. These cost-effective strategies are crucial for communities with limited resources, ensuring that every student has access to an optimal learning environment.

We have been proactive in sharing these innovative tools with the educational community, conducting workshops, creating promotional materials, and offering free licenses to public school districts. Our mission is clear: to improve the quality of school facilities worldwide, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to learn in an environment that supports their academic and personal growth.

This award is not just a recognition of our innovation; it is a testament to our commitment to education, to our team’s hard work, and to the partnerships we have forged with educators, administrators, and design professionals across the globe. We are incredibly grateful to A4LE for this honor and excited for the future, as we continue to break new ground and reshape the future of educational spaces.