Enews

DesignShare Educational Facility Planning News
April 3, 2006

We are pleased to announce that we are extending the Registration Deadline to Friday, April 28th for the 7th ANNUAL DESIGN AWARDS FOR INNOVATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS: Redefining the Vocabulary of School Design Around the Globe.

These 3 additional weeks will allow the DesignShare team to respond fully to a wide range of conversations we're having with design teams around the world. The enthusiasm continues to amaze us ... and we're anxious to convene the Review Team in the next few months to thoroughly explore each of the projects.

REGISTER YOUR PROJECT TODAY! WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING YOUR SCHOOL DESIGN PROJECT WITH OUR WORLD-WIDE COMMUNITY!

Register Now

PURPOSE

The purpose of the program is to share innovative ideas globally -- to that end, the award categories allow for a broad range of projects, including not only the most innovative and best executed designs, but also projects that offer at least one exemplary idea, applied well in a particular context.

ELIGIBILITY

We welcome entrants from around the world, inviting anyone involved in the creation of outstanding leaning environments. Eligible for consideration is any project completed within the last three years or scheduled for design, renovation, or construction during 2006. Each entrant should identify a single contact person for coordinating applicant information, however, applicants may involve a broad group of collaborators in the submittal process.

PROJECT CATEGORIES

• Alternative Learning Environments: Includes venues other than traditional schools, such as business internships, museums, residences, environmental centers, community centers -- in short, any place where learning takes place
• Early Childhood Learning Centers: Includes nurseries, inter-generational care centers, day care, nursery schools, kindergarten, and first grade
• Elementary Schools: Includes K-5, K-6, K-8 and similar grade ranges
• Middle Schools: Includes 6-7, 6-8, 6-9, and similar grade ranges
• High Schools: Includes 8-12, 9-12 and similar age groupings
• Other Grade Ranges: K-12, all-ages and other nonstandard groupings
• Higher Education: Includes all tertiary education, colleges, community colleges, universities and continuing education programs

QUESTIONS & CONTACT INFO

DesignShare provides support through all phases of the registration and submittal process.

For all questions concerning registration, administration, and marketing, please contact:
Christian Long, Director of Communications
Email: christian@designshare.com
Tel: 817-371-6263

DESIGNSHARE IS UNDERGOING SOME EXCITING RE-DESIGN WORK OF ITS OWN

Stay tuned over the next year as DesignShare undergoes a wonderful renaissance of its own. Many of you have noticed the new DesignShare blog and begun to add your voice to the larger conversation. This is just the beginning of changes to come, including a revamped design/look of the main website itself. In addition, you will begin to notice

• an increased development of visitor/partner offerings and services
• even more dynamic publications and voice-pieces from a wider range of stakeholders focused on great learning environments
• enhanced partnership opportunities
• invitations 'to give back' to kids, schools, and learning communities
• a true demonstration of 2-way conversation and collaboration as we all move towards 21st century learning environments that enpower global communities

2006 WILL THE YEAR OF CELEBRATING CHANGE AGENTS AND THE FUTURE OF LEARNING AT DESIGNSHARE!

Thanks to the feedback that you and the rest of the DesignShare community has offered our team, we are thrilled to be moving in this all-important direction in 2006. After more than 9 years of being the most trusted name in sharing innovative school designs and best practices, we are looking to share even more great ideas with the international community.

PLEASE JOIN US AS WE CONTINUE TO RE-FRAME THE VOCABULARY OF SCHOOL DESIGN TOGETHER!

p.s. In the next 2 months, members of the DesignShare e-newsletter listserve will begin to receive additional 'sneak previews' highlighting dynamic initiatives the world round. Keep your eyes and ears open for examples in your community that you'd like to share with us and the international community to which we belong. And please send the names of friends and colleagues to us who you believe will value becoming a member of the DesignShare conversation.

- The DesignShare Team