Legat Architects, Henricksen, and Chicago Bulls College Prep Join Forces in Pro Bono Project to Prove Learning Environments Matter
The Flip This Classroom upgrades at Chicago Bulls College Prep are complete.
Flip This Classroom is a research-based classroom makeover program
that looks at how educational environments impact student performance.
20+ Chicago-area firms donated their products and services to make this happen.
- Chicago, IL (1888PressRelease) September 17, 2010 - If it's good enough for when I went to school, then it's good enough for these kids. An oft-repeated sentiment in the educational community. This summer, Noble Street Charter School, Henricksen, and Legat Architects, Inc. have set out to topple that mindset.
Over the last three weeks, three classrooms at Chicago Bulls College Prep have undergone a transformation. Over 20 Chicago-area firms (architects, interior designers, contractors, distributors, and manufacturers) donated their products and services to make it happen. What united them was the belief that physical learning environments impact student performance.
On Wednesday, Chicago Bulls College Prep unveiled the revitalized classrooms in its 3rd floor space at 2040 W. Adams Street. Gone are the old linoleum tiles, colorless walls, and bulky desks. In their place are carpet tiles, vibrant colors, and flexible furniture. New lighting, interactive boards, and improved acoustics strengthen the focus on learning.
The effort, called "Flip This Classroom," required no new construction. However, Henricksen and Legat Architects organized the project to take it beyond a purely cosmetic makeover. Patrick Brosnan, president/CEO of Legat Architects, said, "The goal is to demonstrate that a small investment in classroom flooring, lighting, wall finishes, acoustics, display boards, technology, and most important, flexible furniture, will create an agile, high-performance environment for teaching and learning."
Tyson Kane, Chicago Bulls College Prep principal, said, "My expectation is that the renewed classrooms will help boost focus, increase performance, and ultimately enable us to better prepare our students for college and beyond." Kane and his staff will monitor student progress in the renewed rooms at Chicago Bulls College Prep to determine how the flip affects student achievement, behaviors, and attitudes.
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