Guest Speakers Steven Bingler, Bobbie Hill and Juliet Page for a discussion on community engagement and Schools of the 21st century
YWCA Fuller Hall
June 14, 2011
9:00am to 11:00am
Community Engagement and Schools of the 21st Century
Guest Speaker: Steven Bingler of Concordia
Attendees:
1 Sheila Cyboron Castle Complex Community Council (C4)
2 Phyllis Ida (C4)
3 Gina Eustaquio (C4)
4 Alexis Kane (C4)
5 Angela Meixell (C4)
6 Nick Aiello (C4)
7 Wendy Kekahio McRel
8 Stacy Nishina HSTA
9 Sherri Okinaga Academy 21
10 Karen Aka Academy 21
11 Rep Takumi Capitol
12 Rylan Yee (C4)
13 Jennie Yee (C4)
14 Rosey Potts Windward DOE PCNC
15 Kathleen Kane UH College of Education
16 Pamela Young
17 Caroline Hayashi Parents for Public Schools
18 Carl Ackerman Pueo
19 Ormand Hammond Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL)
20 Ethan Alen PREL
21 Fred Birkett Hawaii Charter School Network (HCSN)
22 Lynn Finnegan HCSN
23 Lesli Yogi P-20
24 Maria Monsell P-20
25 Karen Ginoza Faith Action for Community Equity (FACE)
26 Rockwell Fukino Hawaii Athletic League of Scholars (HALOS)
27 Cheryl Ka’uhane Lupenui BOE
28 Cynthia Okazaki Parents and Children Together
29 Keith Amemiya BOE
30 Christina Simmons Parents and Children Together
31 Craig Chong Fresh Leadership
32 Cherise Imai DOE/JVEF
33 Jean Grice (DoDEA) U. S. Pacific Command Liaison Officer
34 Jennifer Dang Nutrition and Physical Activity Coalition (NPAC)
35 Wendy Nakasone US Army
36 Kathy Bryant HE’E
37 Cheri Nakamura HE’E
38 Jon Kawamura Capitol Rep Belatti’s office
39 Bernadette Fo Capitol Rep Belatti’s office
40 Jonathan Weintraub DOE Facilities
41 Nick Nichols DOE Facilities
43 Curtis Leong Girl Scouts
44 Dave Tom GBA
45 Leighton Change HQ PACAF/AISRR
46 Takashi Ohno Fern Elementary
47 Bill Kaneko Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs (HIPA)
48 Jeanne Schultz Afuvai HIPA
49 Lynn Fallin HIPA
50 Alan Oshima HIPA
51 Bobbie Hill Concordia
52 Steven Bingler Concordia
53 Juliet Page Concordia
AGENDA
9:00 Reception and Sign In
9:10 Welcome
Cheri Nakamura welcomed the attendees and acknowledged the HE‘E members and participants and distinguished guests. Cheri passed the podium to Alan Oshima to introduce members of Concordia.
9:20 Introduction of Concordia
Alan Oshima explained how he and Bill Kaneko of Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs (HIPA) met Steven Bingler at a national conference for Council for Education Facility Planners International (CEPFI) in Scottsdale, AR, and that hearing about his work inspired them to invite Steven to Hawaii earlier this year. The group had returned last night from the Big Island, where they had met school administrators and Mayor Billy Kenoi. Alan introduced Steven Bingler, Founder of Concordia, Bobbie Hill whose expertise is in community organizing, and Juliet Page, philanthropy consultant, who has worked closely with Concordia on major projects
9:30-10:20 Nexus and 21st Century Schools
Steven Bingler started his presentation by explaining his “nexus” concept, in which school and community are built in partnership, with the school ideally at the center of the nexus. He gave some examples of projects to illustrate.
1. Tishomingo County Educational Complex
Iuka, Mississippi
The design locates common spaces around an open, circular court for complete community access. Programmatic uses balance school and community: school auditorium as community theater, gymnasium as community fitness center, cafeteria as town meeting hall, media center and early learning and child care center, adjacent forest as environmental learning site.
2. The Metropolitan Center
Providence, Rhode Island
To facilitate a community-based master plan for the future expansion of their downtown campus, the master planning process engaged the Metropolitan Center’s administrators, teachers, parents and students as well as local business, resident and nonprofit stakeholders from the South Providence community. Each of the four proposed new small schools is an individual, stand alone building, housing approximately 115 high school students. To also serve as a neighborhood center, four small schools were centrally located within their community and placed at opposite corners of an 8 acre site. Common functions include a large fitness center with a gymnasium, aerobics and weight rooms, a rock climbing wall and a separate, building with a black box theater, radio studio, and video production area.
Steven emphasized that in this project, government officials kept asking, “where are the school fences?” as there were none in the plan. The community told officials they did not want the fences, rather, wanted the schools to be integrated with community.
3. School of the Arts (SOTA) Tacoma, WA-an example of an “extended learning center”
4. Downtown School, Minneapolis, MN-example of partnership with YMCA for gymnasium and Theater for auditorium/place for work study for students
5. Henry Ford Academy
Dearborn, Michigan
The Henry Ford Academy is located completely within the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Rather than build a new facility on the site, the school is integrated into the existing museum spaces. Historical artifacts from the museum, such as machinery and train cars, were incorporated into the public spaces of the school.
Bobbie Hill spoke about her work with communities. She performs and asset mapping of the community, then identifies community leaders or “fellows,” who she works with, building capacity. The fellows sustain the project once Concordia completes its work.
Bobby used The Baker-Ripley Neighborhood Center in Houston as an example of her work with engaging the community.
The Baker-Ripley Neighborhood Center
Houston, TX
The campus of the Baker Ripley Center supports a large under served population in the Gulfton neighborhood of southwest Houston, Texas. The master planning process included six months of intense community engagement with residents to identify assets and future needs. Located next to an existing community center, the campus includes a new middle school, a public library, a health clinic, a business incubator, a community health and fitness center, an outdoor movie venue, a community arts center, a farmers market and other outdoor public park venues. In response to suggestions from local residents, the building designs interpret regional Southwestern American art and architectural language.
Juliet Page spoke about briefly about her role as philanthropy consultant. Philanthropists and foundations support many projects. Organized community engagement as HE‘E Coalition is very positive.
10-20-10:30 Networking Break
10:30-10:55 Q&A
Kathy Bryant thanked Steven, Bobbie and Juliet for sharing their work with us. For the Q&A session, Steven came back to the podium and asked the audience to think about how their work might generate ideas for possible projects.
Q1: Takashi Ohno asked about distance. Where his mother lives in Texas where there is ample land, would development be different in an island region like Hawaii?
Steven has worked on projects where land is restricted and that did not necessarily hinder development. It takes an approach unique to that community and region.
Q2: Jennifer Dang mentioned that she works on health issues and asked if Concordia has worked with Strive.
Concordia is familiar with Strive and are thrilled at the fact that she is involved in incorporating health projects with the school.
Q3: Lesli Yogi asked about funding—how much does a school cost? How does funding work?
It depends on the project and scope. Funding methods are varied.
Q4: How long does the community engagement piece take?
Average is about 9-12 months, but in New Orleans, on project took a short as 6 months.
Q5: What about long term prospects?
Key in planning is how to make facilities as flexible as possible. We don’t know how education will change but we want to be ready to adapt.
10:55 Close
Kathy Bryant thanked members and guests.
Questions on note cards
1. Given recently reported budget cuts affecting the state DOE, can you give us hints of how Juliet Page obtained large multi-year grants for New Orleans?
2. Do you have any experiences with military schools (i.e. schools located on a military installation?) If so, could you please share best practices, challenges results?
3. The biggest barrier to change is the state bureaucracy (regulations, process, procurement). How did other communities address these challenges?
4. Reflection: Wish there could be a physical and facility link with military command and military impacted schools
5. How can planning process take into account the inevitable changes that will take place in a community over the long term?
6. Have you tried this approach outside the US? Differences, similarities?