Honoring Excellence in Schools as Centers of Community

Posted by on June 22, 2009

SCHOOLS AS CENTERS OF COMMUNITY
The American Architectural Foundation invites nominations for the Schools as
Centers of Community. Deadline: December 1.
http://www.richardrileyaward.org/en/Index.html

Honoring Excellence in Schools as Centers of Community
Winning School to Receive a $5,000 Prize

The American schoolhouse is becoming something new and different at the beginning of the 21st century. The way students learn and teachers teach has evolved, and communities have increasingly moved away from the large, factory-era schools that defined K-12 education for the majority of the 20th century. What has emerged over the years is the growing recognition that schools should act as the center of the community.

Sometimes referred to as “community learning centers”, schools that serve as centers of community provide a rich array of social, civic, recreational and artistic opportunities to the broader community, often clustering educational and municipal buildings together. These additional services and opportunities often improve student achievement and help maximize local tax dollars. With school enrollment in the United States forecasted to increase at record levels, and spending on school construction and renovation to total nearly $30 billion annually, it makes sense that this major investment should benefit both students and the local community.

The American Architectural Foundation, in partnership with KnowledgeWorks Foundation, invites you to enter a submission for the Richard Riley Award. If your school is a center of community that demonstrates innovative design ideas and helps promote student achievement, your school could win a $5,000 prize.

The award is named in honor of former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley, who led the way in the 1990’s in promoting the concept of schools as centers of community.

Due to high interest in the Richard Riley Award, the deadline for nominations has been changed to December 1, 2009