K12 Education Booklet

AT M O S P H E R E

C O M M E R C I A L

I N T E R I O R S

hello E D U C AT I O N S PA C E S

S PA C E S Y O U ’ L L L O V E

For 70 years, we have teamed with design firms and clients across the country and around the globe to transform spaces and empower people. Our clients span small startups to top Fortune 50 organizations, each with unique identities, stories, and goals. We deliver premium experiences using a creative mix of products, a collaborative ideation process, and a strong focus on customer service. Our products are sourced from the world’s leading manufacturers, who provide the strongest warranties in the industry.

enrichment of our teams, partnerships, and local communities. This starts with our greatest strength—our team members and their unique background, experience and culture. We encourage continuous education, inclusive environments, and compassionate leadership.

We value a learning mindset and continuous innovation to enable the growth and

Let’s work together to create better learning experiences.

Our commitment to our team members, partners, clients and communities remains our utmost priority—to fuel purpose and empower people through the places where they work, play, learn, heal and connect.

WHY & HOW TO GROW ACTIVE LEARNING

Already back in 1852, at least one thought leader, John Henry Newman, asserted that true learning “consists, not merely in the passive reception into the mind of a number of ideas hitherto unknown to it, but in the mind’s energic and simultaneous action upon and among those new ideas.”

Why then is learning still stagnant in so many of today’s schools, colleges and universities, while others are successfully embracing active learning and rapidly growing their investments in its methods and learning spaces?

According to recent Steelcase research involving 34 schools ranging from kindergartens to universities, the overarching denominator of success is leadership — specifically, administrative leaders who fully recognize and promote the purpose and value of active learning. These change champions realize active learning is about more than just the trendy ideas of some teachers. Instead, they recognize active learning has a much bigger part to play, effectively tackling some of their

institution’s biggest challenges and the most demanding metrics they face.

“All schools are driven by various success factors,” observes Sharon Beaudry, an experienced educator who conducted this research project as a Steelcase Fellow. “It might be enrollment. It might be retention. It might be graduation rates, testing scores or engagement metrics. And increasingly, schools are incorporating active learning as part of the formula in achieving these goals.

“One of the most important findings from this research is that leaders at schools where active learning is successfully growing have been able to tie it directly to a range of success factors.

Because of that, it has become an important part of their strategy for addressing key goals for their institution.”

Of course, no leader same time, without as its proponents, active learning at an

can do it alone. At the administrative leaders significant growth of institution is essentially

impossible. By providing vision, guidance and empowerment to cross-functional teams, leaders are irreplaceably important for making change happen.

Signficant Variances

Of the 34 schools included in the research, 97% had little to no previous exposure to active learning classrooms. After receiving an active learning classroom through Steelcase’s grant program, 25% became what Beaudry terms “high-flyers”— schools that invested in an average of 30 more active learning classrooms after receiving their grant. An additional 22% of the schools were “progress makers” with growth of 10-20 more active learning spaces at their institutions. In contrast, more than 50% — the “well-meaning teams” — achieved very little or no growth, despite the best efforts of advocates.

Why such a range of difference? What insights can be gained from this research to benefit other institutions hoping to successfully seed and nurture active learning? How can active

learning go beyond isolated occurrences in just a few classrooms to becoming a norm throughout an entire institution? Those were among the questions this research focused on answering.

Uncovering the Growth Factors

Analysis of the synthesized research revealed 11 key factors that are fundamental for successfully growing active learning in any type of institution: Knowledge & Training Active learning knowledge: Make the benefits and outcomes of active learning widely known and understood, within and beyond the teaching staff.

Multiple training methods: Transitioning to active learning can be challenging for educators.

Develop systematic, institutional approaches to training, including incentives, to ensure widespread cultural change.

Growth Practices Innovative culture: Motivate a majority of staff to embrace active learning versus sticking with traditional methods and approaches. In successful schools, staff were excited to cross thresholds and be part of the journey toward more progressive learning.

steelcase flex markerboard

Standardized technology approach: Avoid overloading active learning classrooms with complicated technologies. Instead, take a standardized, user-centered approach. In addition to easier adoption, this approach avoids giving active learning a reputation within the school of being too complex or a pricey investment for only a privileged few.

General classroom use: Don’t limit your grantprovided active learning classroom to just one department or one educator. Instead, ensure it is used in rotation by multiple classes and educators, extending the experience broadly and laying a foundation for growth.

Priority scheduling: Assign active learning classrooms only to educators with activelearning training, reducing the risk of use for lecture-based classes — a waste of both learning opportunities and resources.

steelcase elbrook table

smithsystem flowform storage

steelcase tenor chair

hon smartlink chair

hon build table

Success Metrics Tied to student success factors: Tie active learning to student success factors and incorporate it into your overall strategy and facilities master planning efforts.

Funding strategy: Create a planned funding approach for active learning growth, tying it directly to student success metrics and the strategic plan versus relying on grants or remnant departmental funds.

Showcase marketing: Showcase active learning spaces to generate internal and external enthusiasm and enhance recruitments efforts, recognizing that expectations for more active learning are accelerating from kindergarten on.

Assuring Impact

Team & Institutional Support Leadership champions: Leaders who maintain a rigorous focus on active learning and inspire others to become its torchbearers play a monumental role in the success of active learning. In contrast, without leaders’ enlightenment and involvement, the facilities team often blocked efforts to proliferate active learning spaces.

Multifunctional planning team: Involve multifunctional teams. Ideally these include people in administration, teaching, IT, facilities and procurement. Less successful schools have a narrower, top-down approach, often limited to facilities and finance.

Paying attention to only a few of the growth factors while ignoring the others will rarely lead to success, emphasizes Beaudry; it’s the combination of factors that makes the difference. That said, the research underscores the necessity of buy-in and involvement from leaders.

“Time and again, throughout all of these different factors, we could see that it’s the leader that is able to pull the levers to make this happen in a meaningful way,” she notes. “But they can’t — and shouldn’t — do it alone. That can too easily backfire as a heavy-handed, top-down approach. But when you get leaders involved and they’re bringing in a team of people with multiple voices heard, that’s what really drives successful active learning initiatives.”

Article provided by Steelcase 360

C L A S S R O O M I D E AT I O N

it’s time for a fundamentally better learning experience

M A K E R S PA C E S

creating spaces for active experimentation starts with intent

COMMON AREAS

every space is a learning space!

FLIP YOUR CLASSROOM

In the spring of 2021, Atmosphere Commercial Interiors (Atmosphere) hosted their first annual FLIP Your Classroom contest in Arizona to provide students and teachers in Phoenix and Tucson with a space that fosters collaboration, teamwork, and peer-to-peer communication.

With all the challenges and changes that teachers and students have endured over the past two years, adaptive learning environments are more important now than ever. Through the FLIP Your Classroom program, Atmosphere has set out to provide spaces where students have choice and control over their learning environment, thus creating ownership of the learning process and making a successful outcome more likely.

After reviewing the inspiring and heartfelt submissions by a panel of judges, Phoenix teacher Laura Morgan and Tucson teacher Diana Rojo were awarded a total of $40,000 from The HON Company and Atmosphere to design classrooms that would deliver highquality educational experiences.

Diana Rojo, second grade teacher at Southgate Academy in Tucson, needed a space that would support her students’ basic learning needs while inspiring creativity in the classroom. The whimsical transformation of the space features bright storage pieces, coordinating student desks and chairs, ancillary seating, and a new setup for Ms. Rojo, all courtesy of HON. “I had the honor of being part of the planning, installation, and ribbon cutting for the 2nd grade classroom that HON and Atmosphere provided to Southgate Academy. At the ribbon cutting, the joy and pride that the children displayed when seeing their new learning environment was truly a special moment for me! The children, teachers, and leaders at Southgate Academy will hold a special place in my thoughts. What a touching experience!” - Jeff Anderson, Chief Sales Officer Laura Morgan, Transition Specialist at New Way Academy, is dedicated to supporting her students as they prepare for life after high school. Her space needed to function for both

Space Title

design by enter photography by

Space Title

design by enter photography by

collaborative learning and culinary arts.

Laura’s transformed space is highly mobile and adaptable to each class or club’s needs.

“New Way Academy was a true pleasure to work with. From furniture explorations, to design, to installation, it felt like a group effort from start to finish! I’m so happy we could partner with a such an awesome team.” - Brittany Hanish, Workplace Consultant “We were thrilled with the opportunity to partner with Atmosphere to help create dynamic learning spaces for the students at New Way and Southgate Academies! Fueled by the deep understanding of how their students learn best, the great teams at both organizations were instrumental in each step of the process. From ideation, to design, to install and reveal, the passion that these educators have for creating a space where each student’s unique needs can be met was apparent. The icing on the cake was the look on these kids’ faces when they first stepped foot in their new classrooms.

The energy and excitement is inspiring and “something I will not soon forget! - Chet Hoehn, HON Company The Flip Your Classroom contest is an annual opportunity sponsored by Atmosphere Commercial Interiors to provide local students

and teachers with a space that fosters collaboration, teamwork and peer-to-peer communication. The learning needs of students and teaching needs of educators alike vary throughout the day, and we are passionate about providing spaces where students have choice and control over their learning environment.

We are proud to engage The HON Company as a key partner and sponsor of our Flip Your Classroom contest. HON offers a holistic portfolio of solutions for every student, every teaching style, and every type of learning space – from the classroom to the front office and all areas in-between. With a well-rounded portfolio of durable products designed to inspire and engage, HON seamlessly delivers spaces that help students, faculty, and administrators achieve their full potential.

PRODUCTS WE LOVE

smith sy ste oodle m

hon skip

steelcase elbrook

waddell spirit

smith system planner studio

FOX RIVER MIDDLE SCHOOL

A Waterford School District referendum to overhaul their mid-1960s-era middle school doubled the building size and expanded the campus to include sixth-graders, for a total of 500 students. Atmosphere worked closely with school administrators and Plunkett Raysich Architects to select furniture solutions that fit the needs of a variety of new and updated spaces, including the commons area, collaboration areas, library and media center, classrooms, and various school offices. Our role was to design within the budget while also giving school users and staff everything they desired for the spaces.

The Fox River Middle School project offered unique challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Atmosphere was processing the school’s furniture orders as Wisconsin school districts went into lockdown, and product availability became a concern as manufacturers closed or were only allowed to provide for essential businesses. The Atmosphere team managed all vendor lead times and met the school district goal of delivery and installation by the start of the Fall 2020 semester.

Fox River Middle School

design by Plunkett Raysich Architects photography Tricia Shay Photography

Fox River Middle School

design by Plunkett Raysich Architects photography Tricia Shay Photography

OUR WORK

Cherry View Elementary | Lakeville, MN

OUR WORK

School District of Spring Valley | Spring Valley, WI

OUR WORK

Young Mind Community Center | Phoenix, AZ

V E N D O R PA RT N E R S

9 to 5 Seating AIS Andreu World America Arcadia BuzziSpace Campbell Contract Carolina by OFS Clarus Glassboards Community Furniture Dauphin David Edward Egan Visual Falcon Global Gressco Group Lacasse HON Integra JSI Jasper Group Brand KI Landscape Forms Leland International

Loewenstein by OFS Lyon Mercatus International MiEN National Nevers Nevins Nienkamper NorvaNivel OFS Peter Pepper Products Safco Sandler Seating Sit On It Smith System Steelcase Stylex Versteel Vitra West Coast Industries Wisconsin Bench

Jack Young Middle School

photography C&N Photography

OUR PROCESS

1. EXPLORE Define project scope Determine project team Refine roles + responsibilities Discovery workshops Workplace surveys Test + evaluate pilot spaces 2. PLAN Socialize schedule Identify key milestones Validate space requirements Concept review Product specification Finalize finish selection Installation drawings Quote formatted for review Delivery + install sequencing identified

3. PROVIDE Orders placed, tracked and reported Site verification Pre-install meetings Floorplan + installation drawings complete Installation schedule finalized Communicate real-time progress Order status reports 4. EXECUTE Product arrival Warehousing + delivery Walkthrough Project closed Onsite services + training Move-in experience 5. SUPPORT Post-occupancy surveys Measure space against goals + intent Measure performance Facility support

ABOUT

Process matters.

At Atmosphere Commercial Interiors, we are dedicated to partnering with you to connect the dots between your creative team’s vision and living in a space that is authentic to you and your brand.

With Steelcase, a global leader in workplace products and research, and hundreds of additional vendor partners, we offer a comprehensive portfolio of products, technologies and services to ensure we provide you the right solutions, no matter where you are in your project timeline.

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