A4LE Chapter Spotlight: A4LE Chesapeake Bay Delaware Valley Chapter
On April 29, the CBDV Chapter toured Ehrman Crest Elementary School in Seneca Valley School District, one of Western Pennsylvania’s most innovative elementary learning environments, designed by CannonDesign.
Despite being constructed during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the facility stands as a remarkable example of forward-thinking educational design. Jeremy Dwyer of CannonDesign led an outstanding tour, showcasing the school’s immersive learning spaces created in collaboration with the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh.
A huge thank you to @cannondesign , @meteoreducation , and INSPIRE Learning Environment Planning for sponsoring this event and helping create meaningful connections for our members and guests.
We were especially excited about the strong turnout, with many attendees experiencing A4LE for the first time. The networking gathering afterward, hosted by Meteor Education, sparked exciting conversations about continued involvement and professional learning opportunities.
Events like this remind us how powerful thoughtful design and community engagement can be in shaping the future of learning environments.
Announcing our LearningSCAPES 2026 Closing Keynote!
Eric Sheninger, internationally recognized leader, best-selling author, and founder/CEO of Aspire Change EDU, will take the stage to challenge how we think about teaching, learning, and leadership.
Eric has worked with thousands of schools worldwide, helping educators not just adapt to change, but lead it in ways that measurably improve learner outcomes. As the award-winning former principal of New Milford High School, he transformed his school into a globally recognized model for innovation, proving that sustainable, system-wide change is possible.
Now, his focus is on what’s next: leveraging research, evidence-based practices, and AI to empower both learners and educators in real, practical ways.
This isn’t about inspiration for inspiration’s sake. It’s about walking away with the mindset and the strategies to lead meaningful change that actually sticks.
If you’re serious about the future of learning environments, this is how we finish strong.
Join Us at LearningSCAPES Seattle: /
#A4LE #learningscapes26
Not all projects fit the same mold- and that's a good thing!
Our Project Awards offer three categories, and today we're highlighting the Component Award.
This category recognizes standout parts of a project—spaces or initiatives that bring the Core Values to life in meaningful, innovative ways.
Think:
• An outdoor learning environment that transforms how students engage
• A makerspace designed for creativity and exploration
• A media center that becomes the heart of the school
• A project that authentically brings diverse voices into the process
Need an award-winning example?
Last year’s winner, Jefferson Early Learning Center: Themed Play Spaces (“Play Experience”) by PBK, turned immersive, culturally responsive environments into powerful learning moments for young students.
See More Here: /
If there’s a specific element of your project that truly shines, this is your category.
📌Why submit? Because powerful ideas often live in the details, and those details deserve recognition.
Learn more and register here: /A4LE/A4LE/Programs_Awards/Awards/Design_Awards/Project_Awards.aspx?hkey=676fb947-3407-484b-a2e5-23115932468e
#a4le #projectawards #componentaward
Excited to share that the Spring 2026 edition of Learning By Design Magazine is now live!
This issue features more than 50 exemplary learning environments across Pre-K–12, higher education, career and technical education, and community-based spaces nationwide. It also brings together a compelling collection of articles focused on advancing the learning-built environment and continuing to push the field forward.
A special highlight includes two contributions from A4LE: Designing at the Crossroads: Pedagogy, Equity, and the Reality of School Funding by Tim R. McClure, AIA, NCARB, Chair of the Board, and Advancing Learning Environments Through LED Retrofits and Intelligent Control by Frank Brunneman and David Daniel, AIA. These pieces reflect the strength of leadership and vision shaping the future of educational environments.
If you’re thinking about where learning environments are headed, this issue is well worth your time.
#LearningByDesign #A4LE #EducationDesign #LearningEnvironments #K12 #Sustainability
We're spotlighting one of our valued Diamond Annual Partners: @artcobell !
Since 1965, Artcobell has been on a mission to create school furniture that stands up to real classroom life while genuinely supporting the students and teachers who use it. Their "Through Their Eyes" initiative reflects a deep commitment to understanding how learners experience their environments, and designing around that.
As Patricia Cadigan, their Chief Development Officer, puts it, “At artcobell, we believe learning environments should be designed through students’ eyes. Our partnership with A4LE connects us with leaders who share that belief—that space is not just a backdrop for learning, but an active participant in student success.”
That's the kind of partner energy we love at A4LE. Thank you, artcobell, for helping shape learning environments that truly put students first.
Learn more at artcobell.com
#partnerspotlight #a4le #learningenvironments #artcobell
The Accredited Learning Environment Planner® (ALEP®) credential is an ongoing commitment to excellence.
The ALEP has been the gold standard for professionals dedicated to shaping the physical spaces where children learn and grow. It represents a standard of excellence in learning environment planning. It signals more than knowledge; it reflects applied expertise in planning environments that support student success.
The ALEP isn't a finish line. It's a foundation and a community.
If you're serious about the future of learning environments, this is the credential that grows with you.
A4LE Academy Advanced Certificate Pathway: /.../A4LE_Academy/A4LE_Academy.aspx...
Professional Pathway: /.../A4LE/Resources/ALEP/Pathway.aspx...
#ALEP #LearningEnvironments
🎤 Opening Keynote Announcement 🎤
We’re excited to kick off LearningSCAPES Seattle in November with an inspiring voice in education, George Couros.
A globally recognized leader in innovative teaching, learning, and leadership, George brings over 20 years of experience across K–12 education as a teacher, technology facilitator, and administrator. Today, he continues to shape the future of education as an Adjunct Instructor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education.
George’s work centers on a powerful idea: real, meaningful change starts by connecting to people’s hearts. That philosophy comes to life in his dynamic speaking and bestselling books, including The Innovator’s Mindset and Because of a Teacher.
Join us as George challenges us to think differently, lead boldly, and create cultures where innovation thrives.
Be in the room for this opening keynote: /Register.html
Learn more about George:
#LearningSCAPES26 #InnovationInEducation
Recognition Starts Here. Impact Lasts Beyond.
Submissions are now open for the MacConnell Awards and Project Awards, A4LE’s highest honors recognizing excellence in planning and design for learning environments.
These awards celebrate the work that defines what’s next, from visionary concepts to transformative built projects.
Last year’s MacConnell Award winner, Rock Ridge High School (Virginia, MN), designed by Cuningham, reflects the level of innovation and impact these programs elevate.
🗓 Registration Deadline: April 30
📁 Submission Deadline: May 13
Explore past winners and submissions:
MacConnell → /
Project Awards → /
Begin your submission:
MacConnell → /A4LE/A4LE/Programs_Awards/Awards/Design_Awards/MacConnell_Award.aspx?hkey=1c138401-c23f-4647-8c5c-13d28b0170f6
Project Awards → /A4LE/A4LE/Programs_Awards/Awards/Design_Awards/Project_Awards.aspx?hkey=676fb947-3407-484b-a2e5-23115932468e
If your work is shaping the future of learning, it belongs here.
#a4le #learningscapes26 #learningenvironments
This is your sign…
There are only 2 days left to submit your speaker proposal for LearningSCAPES 2026 in Seattle.
Have an idea, project, research insight, or innovative approach to learning environments that others should hear about? LearningSCAPES brings together architects, educators, planners, industry partners, and thought leaders who are shaping the future of education spaces, and your voice could be part of the conversation.
💡 Share your expertise.
🎤 Inspire the community.
🌎 Help advance the future of learning environments.
⏳ Proposal submissions close soon. Don’t miss the deadline!
Submit here: /
#LearningSCAPES26#A4LE
@edmarket_collective
Eight conferences. Four months. One shared mission to elevate learning environments.
From March through June, A4LE regions and chapters across North America will bring together architects, educators, planners, and industry partners for Regional & Chapter Conferences.
These conferences are where ideas are exchanged, partnerships are built, and the future of learning spaces takes shape.
📍 Explore the conferences happening near you and join the conversation.
Where will we see you this spring?
🔗 Learn More: /.../Region.../Regional_Conferences.aspx
#a4le #edmarket #learningenvironments
Our latest feature in School Construction News highlights how members are engaging across the regions, from facility tours with the A4LE Southern California Chapter to Emerging Professionals programming in the A4LE Central Texas Chapter, to webinars in the A4LE Northeast Region.
There are so many ways to get involved, from events and leadership opportunities to credentialing and student engagement.
Read this article and more: /wmhmedia/docs/school_construction_news_2025_march/7
Curious what’s happening near you? Check out your region and see how you can plug in:
#A4LE #SchoolConstruction #EducationalFacilities #Leadership #Membership #LearningEnvironments
Psst… your ideas belong on the LearningSCAPES stage.
We’re in the final stretch. Just two weeks left to submit your proposal for LearningSCAPES 2026 in Seattle.
Have a story to share?
A strategy that’s working?
A lesson learned from the field?
LearningSCAPES is powered by the voices of our community, planners, architects, designers, educators, district leaders, and industry partners who are shaping the future of learning environments.
If you’ve been thinking about submitting, this is your sign.
Submit your speaker proposal by March 13: /CallforSpeakers.html
#learningscapes26 #a4le #callforspeakers #learningenvironments
