Departments – Page 4 – Learning By Design Magazine

American Institute of Architects: Committee on Architecture for Education

Spring 2025

Designing Schools for Socialization

Over the past thirty years, school districts across the U.S. have incorporated social and emotional learning (SEL) programs to help students be “ready to learn”—to manage their emotions, including stress and anxiety, while developing healthy identities, making caring decisions, and forming and maintaining positive relationships.

The Association for Learning Environments

Spring 2025

Letter from the Chair

It has been inspiring to witness the remarkable growth of A4LE these past 15 years. When I first joined, our membership stood at just over 2,000. Today, it has grown to more than 6,000!

The Association for Learning Environments

Spring 2025

Scale Your Impact with AI Literacy:

For educational design professionals, AI represents not just a technological shift but a behavioral one. It challenges us to rethink how we approach our work, enabling us to prioritize meaningful connections, visionary planning, and better outcomes for students and educators.

School Bond Update

Spring 2025

2024: A Record Year for School Tax Elections

In the decade that SchoolBondFinder has been tracking K–12 school tax elections, we have never seen the total amount of dollars passed nationwide exceed $100B. By year end of 2024, the total amount of dollars passed nationwide was over $115B. 2022 now stands as the second highest year for total amount of dollars passed nationwide at $96B.

Editorial

Spring 2025

Harnessing Creativity to Shape the Future of Education

I recently asked Microsoft Copilot, “What does it mean to ideate?” It cited Merriam-Webster: “To ideate means to form an idea or ideas.” For example, you can ideate a new system or simply engage in the process of ideating, which involves thinking creatively and generating new concepts. This led me to consider how ideating applies to designing successful learning environments.

School Bond Update

Spring 2026

Navigating the K–12 Bond Market: Key Takeaways from 2025 and an Inside Look at 2026

As 2026 begins, a review of the 2025 K–12 bond landscape reveals a notable decline in overall volume—both in total dollar value and number of measures—when compared to 2024. The passage rate, however, remained relatively stable at approximately 75 percent.

Editorial

Fall 2024

Start with an Open Mindset

Association of University Interior Designers

Fall 2024

Ask a Designer: What Is AUID?

In 1979, a group of interior design professionals working at a handful of American universities held the first meeting of the Association of University Interior Designers to explore the changing landscape of interior design and facilities management in Higher Education.

American Institute of Architects: Committee on Architecture for Education

Fall 2024

Universal Design for Restrooms and Athletic Facilities

When designed appropriately, single-user facilities bring a variety of benefits to end users and administrators such as enhanced privacy, shorter wait times, greater accessibility, and improved student mental and physical health. These facilities can reduce occurrences of bullying and other undesirable behaviors that have traditionally been associated with gender-specific “gang” restrooms in K–12 schools.

The Association for Learning Environments

Fall 2024

Letter from The Chair

For over 100 years, A4LE has been known as the best intersection for where design, planning, construction, support and school system professionals can share their talent, knowledge and best practices. This allows anyone who wants to see our teachers succeed and students thrive can find a home in A4LE.

School Bond Update

Presidential Election Years and School Tax Elections: Local Elections Matter

In looking at SchoolBondFinder.com’s historical data, we find that Presidential Election years make for an increased quantity of opportunities going to vote across the country. This is because it is prime time for districts to capitalize on increased voter turnout and gain awareness for critical facilities needs.

Editorial

On education campuses across the country. summer is a time of built-environment renewal and a refresh of tired or worn spaces. For new construction projects, the summer season typically marks the culmination of years of planning, fund raising, and excitement about moving into new spaces of learning designed for today’s pedagogy and for future generations of students, faculty, and community needs.