Guerilla Educators

A Typical Mystical Walk in the Woods With Jeff Lackney, "North of 60"

One of the things Jeff and I always did wherever we were, in (or out of) the country was to take a walk and have a look around.  I came to relish those walks because they were times of sharing and, of course, laughing.  We were about as different as two people could be from each other- me, South Philly crude and Jeff the epitome of Midwest nice.  For some reason though, the combination worked just fine.  Some years ago, Lackney and I were giving a workshop for educational facilities designers in Yellowknife, Canada in the Northwest Territories, "north of 60".  We heard that there was a beautiful waterfall about an hour north of Yellowknife, so we were determined that our walk that day would be a hike in the Great North Woods to the majestic Cameron Falls.  We arrived at the trailhead to the waterfall- me in business casual and Jeff in wingtips, a suit, and a nice gabardine overcoat!  As soon as we were on the trail, a robin-sized gray bird landed in a tree about 12 inches from us.  We thought that was "interesting" and assumed that the bird would have a look at these 2 hiking knuckleheads looking like we were going to meet clients instead of taking a moderately difficult almost 2 mile trek in the snow.  As we set out on the trail, we must have really amused this bird, dressed as we were because he followed along with us closely the whole way to the waterfall, about 90 minutes away.  We eventually made it to that magnificent place, then sat and admired Cameron Falls for almost an hour.  Of course that bird stayed with us at the Falls, occasionally joining in our conversation (just kidding!).  We then made ready to head back to the car and got back on the trail with our guide, who accompanied us back to the trailhead, hopping from tree to tree, so close that we could touch him.  As we were in the car on the road back to Yellowknife, our feathered friend flew directly and knowingly in front of our windshield.  Just another mystical, typical time together with my good friend, Jeff Lackney.  Damn!, I'm going to miss that guy.

Guerilla Educators Consulting Services

Below is a partial list of clients who have employed the expertise of Guerilla Educators Consulting Services to advance their architectural design and/or educational programs:

• American Institute of Architects
• The School District of Philadelphia
• Council of Educational Facilities Planners International
• Delaware Valley Green Building Council
• SchraderGroup Architects
• Fielding Nair International
• Philadelphia University
• District of Columbia Public School System
  
• Milwaukee School District
• Alliance to Save Energy
• York Suburban School District
• University of Wisconsin
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Education Environment Planning Consultants
• Regina Board of Education
• Philadelphia Zoo
• Re:Vision Architecture
• Wallace Roberts & Todd Design
• LOTI (Levels of Technology Integration)
• IQity
• GreenWoods Charter School
  
• Journal of Teacher Education
• Edutopia
  
• Barack Obama Green Charter High School
• Cayman Islands Ministry of Education
  
• MaST Community (Math, Science, and Technology) Charter School
• Friendship Public Charter Schools
• Meeks Educational Technologies
• Hamilton School District, Hamilton, Ohio
  
• Rose Tree Media School District
• Puerto Rico Department of Education
• Norristown Area School District
• East Norriton Middle School
  
• Educational Entrepreneurs Professional Association
  

Call us today at, 215-510-2059 to see how we can help you!

Saving Energy in DC Schools (SEDS) Teacher Training

This video documents the Saving Energy in DC Schools kick off in mid-October, 2008, with the teacher training session at Wilson High School. The Alliance to Save Energy's education team worked with teachers to explain the program, use energy tools, and plan the year's SEDS based activities.  Take a look...

Schrader/Sole Presentation at CEFPI Conference

The 2009 CEFPI NorthEast Regional Conference is being held on May 3-5 in New Brunswick, NJ.  This year's conference theme is "Schools on the Edge".  On May 3, John Sole, Founder of Guerilla Educators and David Schrader, CEO, SchraderGroup Architects will present a major breakout session called, Educational Facility Design and Project Based Learning; "The Real Connection".  At the session, we will demonstrate how to use Project Based Service Learning to integrate the design and construction process directly into the classroom to achieve curricular and social outcomes which provides a methodology for ALL students to perform at rigorous academic and civic levels regardless of demographic.  The case will also be made for incorporating students in the conceptual design process, beginning with the charrette.  This student involvement in the design process gives educational facilities planners an essential perspective to design more effective teaching and learning spaces. 

Register online at CEFPI.  Don't miss this important event!

Student Energy Audit Training (SEAT)

Under the leadership of Ms Merrilee Harrigan, Vice President for Education at the Alliance to Save Energy, students at Oyster Adams Bilingual Public School participated in the Alliance's Student Energy Audit Training (SEAT).  The event was part of the Alliances "Saving Energy in DC Schools" (SEDS) Green Schools program.  Over the next 10 weeks and guided by teacher Jason Hoeksma, nineteen 7th and 8th grade Students at Oyster Adams will devise energy conservation strategies for their school designed to reduce energy costs.  The SEAT training was conducted by Byron Humphries, an exceptional educator who specializes in helping students learn about the many facets of sustainability.  Take a look...

During the 2008-'09 school year, 17 schools in Washington DC will participate in SEDS.  This remarkable program will create powerful opportunities for students to achieve proficiency in grade appropriate curricular and standards-based objectives across a variety of disciplines, develop positive citizenship/leadership qualities, and realize significant energy savings for participating schools.           WIN - WIN - WIN!

To hear an "on location" news report from radio station WAMU 88.5 FM about the Oyster Adams energy conservation project, click here.

To see more video of Green Schools project activities in DC schools, click here.

North Central Shared Facility DesignFest (Part 1)

The work of making the Shared Facility in the neighbourhood of North Central Regina, Saskatchewan continues to progress towards reality.  On October 4, 2008, members of the Fielding Nair (FNI) Design Team were back in North Central to  participate in a Design Festival at Scott Collegiate High School.  Led by Randy Fielding, FNI presented the DesignFest participants with 3 different possible schemes for the Shared Facility.  These options were developed based on the feedback from Shared Facility Partners, Community members, Elders, students, and the Regina School District.  This Shared Facility concept will be a unique, innovative way for Community Based organizations in North Central to deliver their services more effectively efficiently.  Scott Collegiate will be an integral part of the Shared Facility and Centres of Excellence, teaching and learning spaces for Scott students will be dispersed throughout.                         Click here to view Part 2.  
Take a look...

To see students weighing in on the Scott Collegiate High School re-design, visit our "Student Vibe" video.

Extending the Vision in Regina, Saskatchewan

The Fielding Nair International design team returned to the beautiful city of Regina, in Saskatchewan, Canada to continue working with the Steering Committee there to assist in the re-design of the community of North Central.  This video documents our meeting in April, '08 that continues to refine the vision for the project.  Take a look...

As part of the design team focused on the educational aspects of the North Central project, we here at Guerilla Educators address the incredible opportunities that the re-design will have on the neighborhood by an exercise in imagining.  The list below, in no particular order, is a synthesis  of outcomes developed after listening to and working with the North Central Shared Facility Steering Committee.

Imagine…

•    Imagine teaching and learning spaces that connect directly and authentically to the community. 
•    Where students learn by addressing real-world issues that are important to them in a variety of ways. 
•    Where they have ownership in their educational processes. 
•    Where they are engaged, invested, and interested in what and how they learn. 
•    Where they achieve mastery of grade appropriate curricular objectives across a variety of disciplines. 
•    Where daily attendance and participation at their Personalized Learning Communities becomes a vital part of the student’s day (rather than the opposite being true). 
•    Where their Service Learning projects allow them to see citizenship/leadership modeled from their world-class Community Partners.
•    Where development of good citizenship skills is part of the fabric of teaching and learning and becomes critical to the long term, real-life success of our students. 
•    Where these civic skills enhance and give greater depth, context and meaning to student mastery of curriculum and standards. 
•    Where students who are working cooperatively to successfully realize the goals of a project are more inclined to negotiate with their peers and make persuasive arguments to get their point of view adopted by the group.
•     Where the cooperative nature of small groups working together for successful completion of the project has an extremely positive effect on the classroom climate and where behavior issues are significantly mitigated. 
•    Where students are motivated to succeed. 
•    Where critical thinking, hypothesis, trial and error, and extension of learning become commonplace pedagogical strategies.
•    Where teaching and learning happens in a safe, nurturing environment in the midst of a vital, active community.
•    Where law enforcement is perceived as a vital community asset and students are mentored by police officers.
•    Where the rich diversity of cultures, including First Nations, Meti, and European are mutually respected and cooperatively enhance, reinforce, and inform teaching, learning, and citizenship development in our students.
•    Where all of the Community Partners in the Shared Facility work together for the greater good and improvement in the quality of life of North Central.
•    Where technology (the no.2 pencil of the 21st century) is suffused throughout all teaching and learning initiatives.
•    Where ALL learners are expected to demonstrate proficiency at rigorous levels of literacy and numeracy –no excuses- and teachers have the resources and professional training to guide them in achieving mastery of those skills.
•    Where Business, Industry, and Government sectors actively seek out our graduates for leadership positions based on their Project Based Service Learning experiences in high school.

Now it's your turn!

Just imagine...

Exhibitors Hall at the 2008 School Building Expo in Chicagoland

Guerilla Educators was a key presenter at the 2008 School Building Expo.  This year's Expo was held at The Renaissance Schaumberg Hotel and Convention Center in Chicagoland.  On the second day of the Expo, we visited the Exhibition Hall where more than 100 sponsors were presenting their cutting edge products.  Take a look...

The Expo was a great success, thanks, in part, to all of the sponsors and exhibitors.

Contact us here at Guerilla Educators for cutting edge Educational Facilities Design Solutions that work. We'll work with you every step of the way.

Discovery Report; Scott Collegiate High School

In September, 2007 a team from Fielding Nair International led a series of Discovery Workshops at Scott Collegiate High School in the North Central community of Regina, Saskatchewan (Download Scott_Discovery_Report.pdf).  Guerilla Educators Founder, John Sole is part of the FNI team.
The workshops consisted of a half day on site tours with school administrators, students, and North Central community partners.  The Shared Vision that came from the September workshops deal with more effectively serving the present and future needs of Scott Collegiate's students within the realities of the North Central neighborhood.  Scott's central role was affirmed within the larger context of a more inclusive community design which consists of increased community integration and participation, focused resources delivery for the Scott Collegiate family, and public health services to include physician care, midwifery, mental health and addiction services and other community outreach programs.  The consensus Essential Question that emerged from these sessions can be framed in the following way; "What does "school" mean within the rich context of an engaged and integrated community facility".  The FNI team will return to Regina in mid April, 2008 to continue dialogue and focus with the various Community Partners in North Central to prepare for an action plan going forward.

Guerilla Educators Featured at the AIA School Building Expo

John Sole, Founder of Guerilla Educators, in association with David Schrader of SchraderGroup Architects will collaborate to present a key breakout session at the American Institute of Architects', School Building Expo to be held between April 1-3, 2008 in Chicagoland.  Our presentation, BUILDINGS FOR PROJECT-BASED LEARNING will be on the Design for Learning Track of the conference and will take place in the 4:00 breakout sessions on April 2.  According to the SBE brochure...         
"We've teamed a forward-thinking educator and advocate of project-based, team-oriented learning (Sole) with his cutting-edge architect (Schrader) to show you what the school needs to offer to promote this more interactive model of learning. They'll “dissect” several successful school buildings to show you what a teacher and a facilities expert recommend to create spaces to support the new paradigm in learning."

The Keynote Speakers for the event include Paul Goldberger, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and author of six architecture books, architecture critic of The New Yorker and The New York Times; Dean of Parsons School of Design; teacher at Yale & Berkeley Schools of Architecture and Prakash Nair, an award-winning school architect, design futurist, and voice for change, Prakash Nair has created schools in 35 countries on 5 continents, and led over $10 billion in school projects from New York City to New Zealand.

If you attend one architecture based conference this year, the SBE is your choice in '08!