Steelcase Education Announces 2017 Active Learning Grant Awardees

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., March 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Fifteen schools across North America will receive classroom redesigns as recipients of the 2017 Active Learning Center grant, announced today by Steelcase Education. In its third year, the grant program supports both teachers and students by creating an environment that encourages engagement, collaboration and creativity.

Traditional classrooms with immovable desks and chairs aligned neatly in rows lend themselves to rote memorization instead of active learning and collaboration. Each grant recipient will receive one of four classroom types valued at $65,000. Each room includes modern movable furniture and installation.

"Awardees were chosen because of a demonstrated commitment to active learning," said Craig Wilson, Director of Market Development for Steelcase Education. "Research shows that space impacts behavior and these classrooms will help a new group of teachers and students explore the learning possibilities an interactive space can bring."

In addition to installing new classrooms, Steelcase will provide training on the uses of the furniture in the new spaces. The recipients will have the opportunity to share research and learn from one another. Steelcase Education and the schools will also partner to conduct assessments and research on the impact of the newly designed space.

The awarded institutions include:

Appalachian State University	Boone, NC
Baylor School	Chattanooga, TN
Cal Poly Pomona	Pomona, CA
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University	Prescott, AZ
Mount Desert Island High School	Bar Harbor, ME
Nebraska Methodist College	Omaha, NE
Ni River Middle School	Spotsylvania, VA
North Seattle College	Seattle, WA
Park Center International Baccalaureate World School	Brooklyn Park, MN

Richard Henry Dana Middle School	Hawthorne, CA
The Claremont Colleges Library	Claremont, CA
The High School at Vancouver Island University	Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Toms River High School North	Toms River, NJ
University of Massachusetts Boston	Boston, MA
University of Notre Dame	Notre Dame, IN

These schools and universities were chosen from over 961 applications for their dedication to active learning. For more information on the winners, visit the Steelcase Education website www.steelcase.com/activelearningcenter.

Steelcase Education
As lifelong learners, Steelcase Education aims to make a difference in education. For students, educators and designers, the organization creates the most effective, rewarding and inspiring learning spaces. As a dedicated group within Steelcase exclusively focused on education, it brings evidence-based design, technology and innovative solutions to education environments, wherever learning happens.