Building schools for the future
Imagine a school with an on-site health clinic, a YMCA, and community college courses for adults in the evenings. On weekends, it's a place where community members hold potluck dinners and Saturday afternoon basketball games. You've just imagined the contemporary school — and schools like this are being created across the nation.
We encourage community and school planners to think outside the box when designing new or remodeled schools. School buildings that can be used throughout the day and the year, that are efficient and yet welcoming, that generate interactions among all sectors of a community — these are the schools that will be vital parts of the lives of both children and adults.
To design and build school facilities that meet the needs of learners of all ages, communities must come together and work cooperatively. We encourage community engagement practices that give everyone a voice in designing the schools in their neighborhoods.
Schools as center of community » Across the country, public schools are becoming the modern-day equivalent of the village green.
Better school facilities » Ensuring that new public schools are built to the highest community and learning standards..