The old technology lab at San Juan Diego Academy in Wyoming, Michigan felt more like a courtroom than a classroom. It was a sea of wood, with grandstand-like seating tiers, bulky built-in surfaces, and paneled partitions.
Now? “It’s like living in heaven,” says STEM teacher Teresa Prevette. “Students have enough room to work by themselves at a computer or come together in different areas to collaborate on other projects. We can move the tables around if we need more space. And for the first time in my teaching life, I have a place to store my stuff.”
With computers moved to the edges of the room and new tables and soft Rock Stools placed in the center of the space, it’s easier for Prevette to circulate and consult. On an average day, she will go from advising sixth-grade students on how their spaghetti-and-marshmallow structures might be designed to bear more weight, to helping kindergartners learn how to use a computer mouse.
Prevette says she’s found that students are better stewards of the furniture and the space when the room is designed with effective learning in mind.
“We can see the difference in the way students learn in this space,” says principal Kristina Martinez-Precious. “Every aspect of our program is designed to prepare students to succeed. Each morning our students recite a pledge that they will graduate and go on to college. We ask them to work hard and they deserve a space that allows them to work at their best.”
Fleetwood’s partnership with San Juan Diego Academy is part of the company’s commitment to giving back to the community. A significant portion of Fleetwood's profits are dedicated to mission projects.
Read more about the mission of San Juan Diego Academy here.
SIDEBAR:
Key benefits of the redesign:
- Supports a variety of teaching methods
- Better sightlines
- Better student-teacher interaction
- Ability to reconfigure space
- Easier to clean and maintain
Products:
- Rock stools
- Computer tables, post-leg tables
- Designer storage