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.

Projects that do not fit precisely into one of the categories described above may be entered in the closest category, at the applicant’s discretion. For example, a project designated for high school and community college students could be entered into the High School, Other Grades Ranges, or Higher Education categories.

Award Categories:

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.

Honor Awards, Merit Awards:

All projects in these categories will receive a special feature in a fall edition of our media partners’ journals, including for 2006 School Construction News, Edutopia, and Schools4Life. Additionally, these category winners receive placement in DesignShare’s ongoing library of innovative school designs.

Citation Awards, Recognized Value Awards:

All projects in these categories will receive a listing in a fall edition of our media partners’ journals, including for 2006 School Construction News, Edutopia, and Schools4Life. Additioanlly, these category winners receive a placement in DesignShare’s ongoing library of innovative school designs.