Grants

Steelcase Education Offers $65,000 Classroom Redesign

The company's 2017 Active Learning Center Grant launches today.

• By Rhea Kelly
• 12/01/16

Schools, colleges and universities across North America looking to revamp classrooms for active learning can apply for funding through a new grant opportunity from Steelcase Education. The company has opened the application process for its third annual Active Learning Center (ALC) Grant, offering "modern and flexible classroom redesigns" to institutions that "show a commitment to fostering student engagement, creativity and success."

Up to 15 grant recipients will receive $65,000 worth of Steelcase furniture, design services, installation and onsite training, as well as a pre- and post-occupancy measurement tool to evaluate results. Grantees can choose one of four active learning environments:

• Active Learning Classroom 1, featuring tiered seating and tables for preserving sightlines in multiple configurations;
• Active Learning Classroom 2, designed for hands-on activities and informal conversations;
• Active Learning Classroom 3, with separate zones for collaboration, listening, independent reading, making and more; and
• Active Learning Classroom 4, focused on smart tech support and extreme mobility.

The 2017 ALC grant is open to schools grades 6–12, community colleges, four-year colleges and universities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. "Grant applicants are asked to describe their teaching goals, the pedagogy they plan to implement in the new classrooms and how an active learning environment will positively benefit both their teaching and their students," according to a press release. Schools may also submit applications for library and media center spaces if they are used for instructor-led learning. "Grantees will be selected based on education strategies that align with active learning philosophies. They will also be asked to describe how they plan to measure their student's success rates and how they will share that information with the broader education community."

The 2016 grant recipients, selected from a pool of 800 applicants, were: Boyce Middle School (Pittsburgh, PA), College of Lake County (Grayslake, IL), Furman University (Greenville, SC), LaSalle College Montréal (Montréal, Quebec, Canada), Lipman Middle School (Brisbane, CA), Timber Ridge School (Mt. Prospect, IL), Shorecrest Preparatory School (St. Petersburg, FL), St. Edward's University (Austin, TX), St. Elizabeth High School (Wilmington, DE), Tennessee Tech University (Cookeville, TN), Turner/Bartels K-8 (Tampa, FL), University of Saint Mary (Leavenworth, KS) and Upper Arlington High School (Upper Arlington, OH).

The application deadline is Friday, Feb. 10, 2017; winners will be announced March 24. To apply, go to the Steelcase Education site.