AAF Issues Report from Mississippi School Design Institute

In November, 2005, The American Architectural Foundation (AAF) was asked to provide advisory services to the Gulf Coast Education Initiative Consortium (GCEIC) through its Great Schools by Design program following the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. Just six months after the disaster, AAF brought a School Design Institute to the region to support local school districts in their rebuilding efforts.

The Mississippi Regional School Design Institute was organized to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas regarding system-wide planning and a range of school design topics. The goal of the Institute was to introduce innovative ideas and solutions to compelling design challenges for the benefit of the Gulf Coast local community and school officials. AAF brought together a team of experts to address the issues and help communities assess the challenges ahead.

The Mississippi Regional School Design Institute took place February 12–14. The first session was held in Gulfport on February 13 and was attended by school superintendents from the counties along the Mississippi Gulf Coast that experienced the most severe damage and destruction. These counties, which are referred to as the lower counties, are Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties. A second Institute was held on February 14 at the Stone County Middle School in Wiggins, Mississippi, for superintendents in counties that also suffered hurricane damage but were, in addition, dealing with growth pressures typically experienced by rural areas in the path of development. These upper counties are Pearl River, Stone, George, Lamar, Forrest, and Jones counties.

To read a detailed report of findings from AAF’s Mississippi School Design Institute, click here.