Association for Learning Environments

We're spotlighting one of our valued Annual Partners: VS America!

Thoughtfully designed spaces change how students learn, move, and thrive.
VS America designs adaptable, ergonomic, and sustainable furniture for K–12 schools, colleges, and libraries, helping schools create environments that support student well-being while giving educators the flexibility to teach in dynamic ways.

Their agile furniture solutions promote collaboration, mobility, and active learning, helping students stay focused and engaged throughout the day.
Explore VS showrooms across the country to experience firsthand how thoughtful furniture design can transform learning environments.

Learn more at vsamerica.com.

SESSION SPOTLIGHT | From Empty Seats to Extraordinary Spaces
📅 November 6 | 9:00–10:00 AM

What if declining enrollment isn’t just a facilities challenge, but an opportunity to create better places for learning?

At LearningSCAPES, discover how underutilized classrooms, corridors, outdoor areas, and other overlooked spaces can become high-impact learning environments. This session will explore data-driven planning, adaptive reuse, specialized learning spaces, and strategies for aligning facilities investments with student experience, not just seat count.

Speakers:
Andrea Pippin, ALEP, LEED AP, Educational Facility Planner, LPA Design Studios
Jomay Liao, ALEP, LEED AP BD+C, Planning Director, LPA Design Studios
Tim Deland, Director: Facilities, Planning & Development, Riverside Unified School District

Don’t want to miss this session? Register for LearningSCAPES!
https://learningscapes.a4le.org/ExtraordinarySpaces.html

Seattle is calling. 🌲✨

Join us for LearningSCAPES 2026, November 4–7 at the Seattle Convention Center, as we explore this year’s theme:

Learning Without Limits: Alternative Environments for Tomorrow’s Students

This is where educators, designers, architects, planners, industry partners, and learning leaders come together to challenge assumptions, share ideas, and imagine what’s possible when learning environments are designed differently.

If you’re ready for new perspectives, meaningful connections, and big conversations about the future of learning environments, we’d love to see you there.

📍 Seattle Convention Center | Seattle, WA
📅 November 4–7, 2026
⏰ Regular Rate ends September 30! Come be part of the conversation, and help shape what learning can become.

Register Today: https://learningscapes.a4le.org/

SchoolsNEXT is more than a design competition; it’s an opportunity for students to imagine what the future of learning could look like.

Open to all middle school and high school teams, the A4LE SchoolsNEXT Design Competition challenges students to research, collaborate, think critically, and design healthy, sustainable, resilient learning environments for the future.

Students get to bring their ideas to life while building skills in design, problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and innovation.

And there are several ways to get involved:
🏫 Schools: Register a middle or high school team to compete.
🤝 Professionals: Volunteer as a mentor and help students connect their ideas to the real-world planning and design process.
⭐ Organizations: Sponsorship opportunities are available to help make this experience possible for students and schools.

The competition is the heart of SchoolsNEXT, and we’d love to see more students bring their ideas, creativity, and voices to the table.

2026–2027 registration is now open, and participation is free.

👉 Register, mentor, sponsor, or learn more: https://www.a4le.org/A4LE/Programs_Awards/SchoolsNEXT/SchoolsNEXT.aspx

A few weeks ago, the A4LE + EDmarket Global Boards gathered in Manitou Springs, Colorado, for a meaningful time of connection, collaboration, and service.

The retreat marked the first opportunity for members of the A4LE Global Board and EDmarket Executive Board to come together since our merger, an important step forward as we continue building one organization with one vision.

While in the Colorado Springs area, we also had the privilege of spending time at The Place, an organization dedicated to helping young people exit homelessness and build self-determined, fulfilled lives. The Place provides critical resources, supportive relationships, and opportunities that help young people move toward safe, stable, and successful futures.

Our board members toured the facility, learned more about the organization’s work, and rolled up their sleeves to support its mission.

Together, we:
🌱 Cleared overgrown garden beds and planted new flowers and plants
🌿 Cleaned and refreshed the front entrance to create a more welcoming space
🥫 Stocked and organized the food pantry to help make essential resources more accessible

We are grateful to the staff at The Place for welcoming us, sharing their work, and allowing us to contribute in a small but tangible way.

As an organization committed to creating environments where people can learn, grow, and thrive, this experience was a powerful reminder that a welcoming place can make a meaningful difference.

Learn more about The Place and its mission: https://theplacecos.org/

Early Bird Rates for LearningSCAPES End July 31!

Join us in Seattle for LearningSCAPES 2026, November 4–7, and connect with professionals shaping the future of learning environments.

Register by July 31 to secure early bird pricing:
🏫 Public / School District Member: $225
🏫 Public / School District Nonmember: $375
🏢 Commercial Member: $950
🏢 Commercial Nonmember: $1,300

Don’t miss four days of learning, collaboration, inspiration, and opportunities to explore the ideas, products, and partnerships advancing educational facilities.

Register today: learningscapes.a4le.org

A4LE + EDmarket is proud to celebrate the 2026 A4LE LE Fellow Honorees.

The LE Fellow Designation recognizes individuals whose service, leadership, expertise, and mentorship have made a lasting impact on A4LE and the learning environments profession.

This honor is reserved for those who have consistently advanced the association’s mission, supported fellow members, and demonstrated excellence in the work of creating better places for students to learn and thrive.

Congratulations to this year’s LE Fellow Honorees:

Daniel Brewster, AIA, LEED AP, LE Fellow
Michael L. Chewning, EdD, AIA, ALEP, LEED AP BD+C, LE Fellow
Paul Klee, FAIA, ALEP, NCARB, LEED AP, LE Fellow
Philip Riedel, AIA, ALEP, LEED AP, LE Fellow
Donna Ward Francis, AIA, ALEP, LE Fellow
Angela Whitaker, LE Fellow

We are grateful for your dedication, your leadership, and the example you continue to set for the A4LE + EDmarket community.

Announcing the 2026 James D. MacConnell Award Finalists!

The James D. MacConnell Award is the most prestigious honor A4LE bestows, recognizing projects that exemplify outstanding comprehensive planning, authentic community engagement, and learning environments that put students at the center of every decision.

This year, three extraordinary projects have earned the distinction of Finalist:

✳️ Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College — Scientia Terrace | Sydney, Australia
Architect: Hayball | Client: Monte Sant'​ Angelo Mercy College
A landmark six-story vertical campus weaving together STEM, sports science, and social enterprise, while honoring 150 years of Mercy heritage and the voices of an entire school community.

✳️ Casa Blanca Community School | Gila River Indian Community, Arizona
Architect: JCJ ARCHITECTURE | Client: Gila River Indian Community
A culturally grounded, community-built school designed in just 16 months, transforming educational outcomes and cultural regeneration for the O'otham and Pee-Posh people.

✳️ Malibu High School | Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, California
Architect: NAC + Koning Eizenberg Architecture, Inc. | Client: Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District
Rising from the ashes of the Woolsey Fire, a purpose-built Project-Based Learning campus stands as a symbol of community resilience, inclusion, and hope.

One will be named the MacConnell Award Winner at the LearningSCAPES 2026 Conference. Stay tuned as we spotlight each finalist in the days ahead.

See each project in more detail, as well as all submissions: https://macconnell.a4le.org/

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