Resources for Architects & Interior Designers

Creating Safe, Inclusive Spaces for Creativity & Collaboration

Today’s workplaces are rapidly evolving, and so are the skills that students will need for success. In an information-based economy, employers are looking for workers who are creative and collaborative problem solvers. The learning spaces of the future must be able to support activities that effectively develop these skills. But learning spaces also must meet the diverse needs of all students, including those with special needs. They must be designed to be safe and inclusive for all learners. In this presentation, you’ll learn how to create modern learning spaces that help foster creativity and collaboration in a safe and inclusive way for everyone.

Objectives

• Understand why creativity and collaboration are critical skills for students to learn — and how this affects the design of learning spaces.
• Understand what is meant by “safe and inclusive” spaces for students to create and collaborate, and why this is important.
• Learn how the use of proper materials and methods can help create safe and inclusive spaces for students to innovate and collaborate, including the critical role that furniture plays in the design of these spaces.
• Identify the key elements of a safe and inclusive space that fosters creativity and collaboration.

AIA Course Code: SSCEU01
IDCEC Course Code: CEU-110470
Learning Unit: 1.0 AIA Learning Unit, 1.0 IDCEC Continuing Education Unit
Expiry Date: 06/30/2026
Type of Presentation: In person
Subject Code Primary: 3. Interior Design Education
Subject Code Secondary: 1. Instruction
Length (Hours): 1
Designation: Health, Safety, Welfare

6 Essential Design Elements of a Modern, Inclusive Learning Space

The traditional classroom design that served as the de facto model for more than a century, with desks arranged in rows facing the front of the room, worked fine for when classroom instruction was mostly whole-class instruction delivered by the teacher. But teaching and learning have evolved dramatically over the last few decades — and learning environments must adapt as well if they’re going to support these activities effectively.

Today’s students need new skills for success. What’s more, technology is changing how they learn at home — and therefore how they expect to learn when they’re at school. At the same time, teachers are tasked with meeting a wide range of student needs. To meet the diverse needs of all learners, including those with special needs, teachers must use highly flexible and engaging learning strategies. In this presentation, you’ll learn how to design modern, inclusive learning spaces that suppor t rich, dynamic modern instruction that can meet all of these challenges.

Objectives

• Understand three key trends that are driving the need for change in schools — and how the nature of instruction is evolving as a result.
• Learn how these changes have created the need for new learning environments that meet four important criteria: engagement, inclusivity, social-emotional development, and student centered approaches to learning.
• Identify the six essential design elements of a modern, inclusive learning space that meets these criteria.
• Understand how the use of proper materials can help create modern, inclusive learning spaces that incorporate these six essential elements — including the critical role that furniture plays in the design of these spaces.

AIA Course Code: SSCEU02
IDCEC Course Code: CEU-110870
Learning Unit: 1.0 AIA Learning Unit, 1.0 IDCEC Continuing Education Unit
Expiry Date: 06/30/2026
Type of Presentation: In person
Subject Code Primary: 3. Interior Design Education
Subject Code Secondary: 1. Instruction
Length (Hours): 1
Designation: Health, Safety, Welfare

Acoustics and Educational Pedagogy - The Synergy Between

Undesirable acoustics in educational spaces have long been considered averse to our goals to effectively teach, create, collaborate, listen, and learn. The impact on students’ academic achievement, social adaptation, and mental health can be vast and long lasting. In this class we will examine impact of different sound problems and how to introduce solutions to mitigate them. Learn about solutions that create synergy between the architecture and the classroom environment to optimize student learning, student recruitment, and teacher retention.

Objectives

• Understand basic classroom acoustics
• Identify the factors that affect our acoustic experience in a space and explain why noise distracts us and impacts our health, behavior, comfort, and emotions.
• Understand the impact of sound on productivity, creativity, and educational per formance.
• Pedagogical changes in the environment.
• Identify corrective actions to improve a soundscape, including sound-absorbing materials and diffusion, geometry, and ratio mix and placement.
• Identify supporting classroom environment changes that improve educational performance.

Course: CEU-HSW, AIA, IDCEC, 1 Credit
Instructors:
Sue Ann Highland, PhD
Industrial/Organizational Psychologist
National Education Strategist
School Specialty
Slavka Younger Nightingale
Co-Founder, VP
National Acoustical Educator
Frasch, Inc.

Building Future Ready CTE Classroom Environments and Innovation Labs

CTE isn’t just the old school vocational program anymore. How does a school keep up with the demanding changes and fast paced environment of CTE? Come hear some tips on starting or expanding your program, the elements to consider in your program, and see some great new environments for students.

Objectives

• Learners will be able to describe who today’s students are and discuss the COVID impact on this generation.
• Learners will be able to define CTE and Innovation Labs.
• Learners will be able to describe how CTE labs connect learners to the workplace.
• Learners will understand the cross curricular connection between general education and CTE.
• Learners will be able to describe learning environment elements and examples.

AIA Course Number: SSCEU03
IDCEC Course Code: CEU-118313
Learning Unit: 1.0 AIA Learning Unit, 1.0 IDCEC Continuing Education Unit
Expiry Date: 02/23/2026 (AIA) and 4/30/2025 (IDCEC)
Type of Presentation: In person
Subject Code Primary: 3. Interior Design Education
Subject Code Secondary: 1. Instruction
Length (Hours): 1

Esports Design

Esports is a fast-growing CTE track. This program isn’t just playing video games, but a great way to engage many students on your campus. Come learn security considerations for labs, the impact of lighting and acoustics, and environments suited to support a great program.

Objectives

• Learners will explore security considerations in Esports labs.
• Learners will understand the impact of lighting and acoustics in lab design.
• Learners will explore and understand the integration of the Esports lab with the other built environment and how these labs differ from traditional classrooms.
• Learners will learn elements within an Esports lab design.

AIA Course Number: SSCEU04
IDCEC Course Code: CEU-118314
Learning Unit: 1.0 AIA Learning Unit, 1.0 IDCEC Continuing Education Unit
Expiry Date: 03/30/2026 (AIA) and 3/31/2025 (IDCEC)
Type of Presentation: In person
Subject Code Primary: 3. Interior Design Education
Subject Code Secondary: 1. Instruction
Length (Hours): 1

Best practices to create Early childhood Environments

An appropriate and effective early childhood learning environment should allow children to feel safe, gain independence and engage with people and materials to foster learning. This can only occur when we are purposeful and intentional in setting up that environment. This course provides a general overview of the key elements that need to be considered to accomplish that goal.

The early childhood classroom environment is often called “the third teacher”. Therefore, it is crucial to be purposeful and intentional in setting up that environment. This course provides a general over view for doing just that in order to create an early childhood classroom that allows children to feel safe, gain independence and engage with people and materials to foster learning.

Objectives

• Understand recommendations for providing a safe and healthy learning environment for children.
• Gain an awareness of the key elements of the physical arrangement of an early childhood classroom.
• Learn about guidelines for the arrangement of classroom materials.
• Discover the importance of considering children’s perspectives as part of the classroom environment.

AIA Course Number: SSCEU05
IDCEC Course Code: CEU-119112
Learning Unit: 1.0 AIA Learning Unit, 1.0 IDCEC Continuing Education Unit
Expiry Date: 06/29/2026 (AIA), 07/31/2025 (IDCEC)
Type of Presentation: In person
Subject Code Primary: 3. Interior Design Education
Subject Code Secondary: 1. Instruction
Length (Hours): 1
Designation: Health, Safety, Welfare

Sign Up for a Course

To register for a course, contact your School Specialty learning environment representative by filling out the form below.