AAF School Design Institutes

How Can My School District Participate?

To have a maximum impact on school facilities nationwide, AAF has established the criteria below in selecting school districts for participation in school design institutes. If you are a superintendent or work for a school district, and you believe your district meets these criteria, please contact Nancy Zivitz Sussman at the address or phone number listed below. If you would like the superintendent of your school district to participate, please send them a link to our website.

Nancy Zivitz Sussman
AAF Program Director
Phone: (202) 626-7412
nzsussman@archfoundation.org

Criteria

Size of District

• In an effort to benefit as many K-12 students, teachers, and administrators as possible, we tend to work with school districts who are planning significant construction project(s).

District Participation

• This is typically a “superintendents only” initiative. It is a highly interactive, collegial event among superintendents and national experts in design and education. (Interim superintendents may participate, providing they will have an opportunity to fully inform their current district as well as those involved in design and construction at their next assignment.)
• On occasion, AAF will conduct institutes that involve a team of district representatives. These institutes require participation by the superintendent, but may also include the mayor; project architect or facilities planner; education curriculum specialist or classroom teacher; principal; student and/or community leader.
• All member districts of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Education Initiative Consortium will be accommodated as part of our continuing commitment to work with districts affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Projects Accepted For Review + Comment

• Superintendents should ideally have a major school construction or renovation project in the planning or preliminary design stage. It should be far enough along in the planning stage to allow for review and comment. However, revisions should still be possible without major funding implications.
• As an alternative to presenting a major construction project, superintendents can present a long-range facilities plan (or strategic plan) as a basis for discussion. The plan would provide context for discussion regarding various topics, such as the demands of an increasing student population, the need for consolidation, or, perhaps, the challenges associated with limited funding.
• There is a preference to work with districts that are scheduled to build more than one major construction project, so that the information gained can be applied to succeeding projects.