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Key State Influencers Gather for KnowledgeWorks Foundation Conference, "Building Our Future"
COLUMBUS - KnowledgeWorks Foundation is hosting today and Tuesday, the second statewide conference on school facilities planning and design. The goal of the conference is to stimulate thinking on good school facilities planning among educators, community members, planners, policy-makers and school administrators. Ohio is in the process of spending about $23 billion in state and local funds on school facilities construction and renovation. KnowledgeWorks Foundation's work in this program area is to ensure that the funds are spent as effectively as possible by (1) encouraging school districts to engage their communities in planning school facilities, (2) promoting the concept of 'schools as centers of community' - where school buildings have multiple uses for the benefit of the community, and (3) infusing the local planning process with information about the impact of school facilities on learning outcomes. "It is important that we bring together the people who will be part of this significant initiative. The conference will be a great opportunity to discuss best practices with stakeholders around the state to ensure the $23 billion is spent in the most effective and successful way possible to benefit Ohio students," said Chad P. Wick, president & CEO of KnowledgeWorks Foundation. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. We need to get it right." The conference focuses on the school facilities opportunity in Ohio with help from field experts, addressing such thought-provoking and controversial issues as: How can the public be effectively engaged in planning school facilities? What does it take to design a school to serve as a center of community? How can districts take advantage of school facilities planning to trigger education reform? Which school buildings should be renovated and which should be replaced? What is the current state of research on small schools? Dr. George H. Copa will deliver the keynote speech, discussing the importance of making decisions about learning as the first step in planning and designing a new building. Dr. Copa is a professor at the School of Education at Oregon State University. He serves as director of the research and development project, New Designs for Learning. He has held university administrative positions at the research center director, department chair, and vice-president levels. His work has been published in over 150 journal articles, reports, papers, and books. These publications include New Designs for the Comprehensive High School and New Designs for the Two-Year Institution of Higher Education that resulted from major projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
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KnowledgeWorks Foundation is Ohio's largest public education philanthropy. KnowledgeWorks Foundation provides funding and leadership for education initiatives throughout the state and is focused on removing barriers to quality education. The Foundation is committed to sharing knowledge gained and lessons learned with others in Ohio and across the nation to help inform public policy. KnowledgeWorks Foundation is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, and currently holds more than $200 million in assets. Learn more about KnowledgeWorks Foundation at www.kwfdn.org. | ||