American Architectural Foundation And Knowledgeworks Foundation Announce Winner Of 2007 Richard Riley Award

Rosa Parks School in Portland, Ore., Wins $10,000 Award Recognizing Schools as Centers of Community

WASHINGTON— September 27, 2007—The American Architectural Foundation (AAF) and KnowledgeWorks Foundation have announced that Rosa Parks School at New Columbia Community Campus in Portland, Ore., is the winner of this year’s Richard Riley Award for Schools as Centers of Community. The school will receive a $10,000 award from AAF and KnowledgeWorks Foundation that will be presented by former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley at an awards ceremony in Washington on November 5th.

"This school is a national model for how the creative design of a school can help to revitalize an entire neighborhood," said Ronald E. Bogle, President and CEO of the American Architectural Foundation. "It is a fantastic example for other school districts, showing how multiple partners can work together and provide a strong intergenerational focus; even helping to establish community design principles for future Portland public schools."

The jury also singled out Rosa Parks School at New Columbia Community Campus because the design supports small learning environments, makes a variety of services available to the entire community, and has received a Gold LEED certification for sustainability. The jury also noted the innovative use of new market tax credits to finance the construction of the school. The campus was built on land donated by the Housing Authority of Portland, and includes a new K-6 school, a Boys and Girls Club, and a revitalized Parks and Recreation Community Center. The school was designed by Dull Olson Weekes Architects in Portland, Ore.

The Richard Riley Award, named for former U.S. Secretary of Education, is presented each year to a school that best exemplifies the growing national trend of building schools as centers of community—schools that are open to community use and collaborate with community resources supporting student and community success. U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy is currently sponsoring legislation S.1302 —Keeping Parents and Communities Engaged Act— that will provide $260 million to encourage communities to provide more integrated services and outreach to parents by designing schools as centers of community.

"I commend Rosa Parks School at New Columbia Community Campus for this well-deserved honor and the KnowledgeWorks Foundation and the American Architectural Foundation for their support of community schools," said Senator Edward M. Kennedy. "This award is aptly named for Dick Riley, who as Governor of South Carolina and U.S. Secretary of Education helped lead the nation on school reform, and understood the indispensable role of parents and communities as well as schools in helping students do well. This active support makes an enormous difference in students' academic, social and civic development. As the Senate reauthorizes the No Child Left Behind Act, we will do our best to give schools across the country the full range of support and resources they need to provide the best possible education for all students."

David Wynde, Board of Education Co-Chair for Portland Public Schools during the creation of Rosa Parks was closely involved with the development of the project. Wynde stated, "There's a lot of talk about partnerships and collaboration and working together for kids—in this project, talk become action. The Housing Authority of Portland, the City of Portland, the Parks Bureau, the Boys & Girls Club, private investors through the tax credit program, corporate and individual donors—all joined with Portland Public Schools to make this happen."

Seven other schools from across the country were also recognized by the jury for their creative designs and efforts to reach out to their communities. The seven schools being recognized as semifinalists represent rural, suburban and urban school districts. They include:

"I am particularly pleased that two Ohio schools, Winton Hill Academy in Cincinnati and GlenOak High School in Canton, Ohio, are being inducted into the Honor Society," said Chad Wick, President and CEO of KnowledgeWorks Foundation. According to Wick, "These two schools are successful in large part because the community got actively engaged in the planning and design of the new facilities."

Schools and communities can also learn more about schools as centers of community by watching an award-winning video about John A. Johnson Achievement Plus Elementary School in Saint Paul, Minn., produced by AAF and KnowledgeWorks. John A. Johnson was the first school to win the Riley Award. To watch the video, go to www.archfoundation.org/aaf/gsbd/Video.Johnson.Intro.htm

The Richard Riley Award was launched in 2004 by KnowledgeWorks Foundation as the Richard Riley Award – Schools as Centers of Community: A National Search for Excellence. The recipient in 2004 was John A. Johnson Achievement Plus Elementary School, in Saint Paul, Minn. In 2005, the award was presented to Hudson High School, in Hudson, Miss. AAF, in partnership with KnowledgeWorks Foundation, is pleased to continue presenting the Richard Riley Award.

 

About The American Architectural Foundation
The American Architectural Foundation (AAF) is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that educates individuals and communities about the power of architecture to transform lives and improve the places where we live, learn, work, and play. AAF’s programs include: The Mayors’ Institute on City Design and Great Schools by Design – highly regarded initiatives that help improve the built environment through the collaboration of thought leaders, designers, and local communities. Through its outreach programs, grants, exhibitions, and educational resources, the American Architectural Foundation helps people become thoughtful and engaged stewards of the world around them. For more information, please visit www.archfoundation.org.

About Knowledgeworks Foundation
KnowledgeWorks Foundation (www.kwfdn.org) funds, facilitates and empowers communities throughout the nation to improve education. With a focus on transforming the national education landscape based on forecasts of future education needs, the foundation employs education experts and enlists innovative partners to equip the nation to thrive in a global competition for talent and knowledge.

 

Media contact
Helen Wechsler
(202) 626-7372
hwechsler@archfoundation.org