Solon, Ohio—Tarkett North America is supporting and participating in the Association for Learning Environments’ (A4LE) LearningScapes 2017, to be held Oct. 26–29 in Atlanta. The manufacturer is a Platinum-level sponsor of the LearningScapes which is designed to bring together those who plan, design, equip, furnish and maintain places where students learn. Tarkett has also been named a finalist for the event’s annual Solution Provider Award.
A highlight of LearningScapes is SchoolsNext, a forward-thinking approach to K–12 school design that allows middle and high school students to design their ideal learning environments. In A4LE’s SchoolsNext, students are challenged to plan and design sustainable and resilient learning spaces that encourage innovation, critical thinking and collaboration. Students from the Award of Excellence winning team are invited to present their designs at LearningScapes and receive a winner’s grant from Tarkett. Curriculum associated with SchoolsNext includes creative lesson plans utilizing STEM and STEAM in a project-based learning format.
The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) works closely with A4LE and will be celebrating its 15th anniversary during the conference. John Sumlin, Tarkett’s vice president strategic accounts – sales, serves on the CHPS board and is closely involved with A4LE.
“The work A4LE and CHPS is doing is so valuable for the future of our students,” Sumlin said. “These organizations work daily to improve and help foster the creation of well-designed schools to improve learning for all students. We work with A4LE throughout the year through their regional and state chapters, and it’s wonderful to see the culmination of their work at LearningScapes. Great schools matter. As a supplier, we make products that contribute to better learning environments, and by our working with these valuable associations, we’re doing good together for our students.”