Summer 2023 Design Research Internship

This unique opportunity encourages young professionals and designers to develop real solutions for the next evolution of educational design.  

Guiding Question:

How might we create beautiful, healthy, and safe school environments where all learners are excited to come to school every day and be the best version of themselves?

Education has the power to transcend barriers, divisions, and inequalities; an equalizing force in society. Unfortunately, all school-aged kids are not making it to school every day. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 1 in 6 students in the U.S. are chronically absent. The reasons for absenteeism are widespread, however, we wonder, as designers and professionals, how might we design systems, structures and spaces that enable students to thrive?  

Selected intern(s) will explore architectural solutions and operational approaches as strategies for addressing absenteeism in education through research and implementation.  

Interns will work alongside professional educational designers, architects, healthy building professionals and school leaders for insights into design research. Chosen participants will use their findings to produce thought-provoking insights leading to a final deliverable. These findings will lead to innovative design prototypes, graphics, and presentations related to the evolution of educational and architectural design. 


Internship Logistics:

Location: Currently all internships will be virtual with the possibility of in-person meetings at DC, Minneapolis, and Detroit offices. 

Time: Summer 2023, 3-4 days a week/12 weeks. Specific dates will be on a case-by-case basis and have opportunities to extend into Fall/Winter 2023. 


Applications:

Send a cover letter, resume, and portfolio to ellen@fieldingintl.com with the subject line “FI Design Research Internship- First Name_Last Name”

Deadline: Friday, May 12, 2023


Who is Fielding International?

Fielding International is a certified B Corporation and a global leader for the planning and design of educational facilities. For the past 20 years, we have provided consulting services to many international and private schools; public school districts; local, regional and national governments and other educational clients in over 50 countries on six continents. We partner with school organizations to plan and design learning spaces and experiences that promote student agency, enrich social and emotional well-being, and cultivate authentic learning. We have a commitment to re-imagining the future of education alongside the communities we serve.

Learn more about us at fieldingintl.com.

Fielding Internships

Locations: College Park, Maryland; Ferndale, Michigan; Minneapolis, Minnesota


Opportunity

We seek students who are not only serious about their own education, but who are excited about the opportunities to improve teaching and learning environments for future generations. We approach every school community with curiosity, and we have fun doing it!

Fielding International’s design internships encourage young designers to develop real solutions for the next evolution of educational design in our current world climate. How do we re-imagine what resilient learning systems look like? What types of collaborative efforts encourage a holistic approach to design?

The ideal candidates are curious by nature, passionate about learning, can contribute to a collaborative working environment, can handle complexity and chaos, are cool under pressure, and are passionate about how thoughtful design strategies can innovate the learning environment.

We are looking for internship candidates in all of our locations. Our small informal studios embrace a culture where collaboration is encouraged, ambition is valued, and diverse thought is celebrated.


Qualifications

  • Currently a college student working to obtain a professional degree from an accredited Architecture program
  • Entry-level student Intern on the path to Architectural Registration with little or no previous experience
  • Working knowledgeable of Revit or other BIM drafting and presentation tools
  • Strong design and graphic communication skills demonstrated in a variety of media
  • Flexible, organized, and self-directed individual with the ability to multitask


Responsibilities

Interns will work alongside professional educational designers, architects, and school leaders on real-world projects. Chosen participants will produce graphics and presentations related to the evolution of educational design. 

Interns will have the opportunity to work as part of a collaborative team, actively participating in team research and discussions, learning, and receiving mentorship in the planning, design, and coordination of educational projects. 

We are Purpose-Driven / We are a Certified B Corporation

Fielding International was the first school design company to receive B Corp certification, joining a global movement of companies committed to using business as a force for good. We are dedicated to making a difference in the world. By working with Fielding, you will share in our commitment to using our position as a B Corp to drive positive change in our industry and beyond. We strive to improve our social and environmental practices by setting and achieving ambitious goals and implementing sustainable business practices across all aspects of our company. You will play a meaningful role in helping us continue to innovate and push the boundaries of school design. 

We strive to create a culture that values and reflects each individual’s personal needs. Our goal is to sustain a diverse community of designers and thinkers in a culture that is collaborative, supportive and encouraging—a place where you are pushed to do the best work of your life and enjoy working each day!

Please send your CV and Work Samples to employment@fieldingintl.com. In your email, please indicate the location you are interested in joining and answer the following question:
How can you help us make the world better by improving environments for learning?

Associate Learning Designer / Project Based Learning Coach

Fielding International, a global leader in school design and Certified Benefit Corporation™, is looking to hire a full-time Associate Learning Designer and Project Based Learning Coach to support schools adopting student-centered and project-based pedagogies.

This posting is advertising a position for a 40 hours per week employee with benefits. The salary is $60k-85k/year commensurate with experience and the region where the employee resides.

This is a Hybrid/Remote Position that will initially require on-site work in Cranston, Rhode Island at a minimum every two weeks, with multiple days of engagement per week. It is highly recommended that you live in or near RI, or can easily access RI via car or airline and are comfortable with travel including consecutive overnight stays away from home multiple times per month.

We believe that a diverse range of perspectives and experiences within our team is essential to supporting the school and communities we work with and encouraging those from historically underrepresented communities to apply.

What You Will Be Doing

Your first project will be supporting Cranston Public Schools in their initiative to embed Project Based Learning (PBL) throughout the district. You will:

  • Work with teachers in a coaching role who are developing and implementing PBL units across K-12.
  • Co-develop and sometimes assist in the implementation of PBL units as a means of modeling for teaching and practicing new PBL skills.
  • Coordinate with district leaders to help build internal capacity to scale PBL across all school divisions.
  • Coordinate and communicate with other project team members to ensure the design and development of new schools and programs are successfully implemented.
  • Work within Cranston Public Schools in-person for these engagements 2-4 days per week.

Beyond this project, you will also work with Fielding’s Learning Designers to shape your own role and expertise that supports firm-wide efforts and adapts to your own capacity, skills, and interests, all in the pursuit of creating schools where learners thrive. Specifically, your role will involve supporting clients in the Fielding International family of schools as they seek to improve and sustain quality practices related to project-based learning and other student-centered approaches.

In addition to these specific roles and responsibilities, Fielding International Learning Designers focus on two key concentrations of work:

  1. Education and Learning Design Services
    • Design and facilitate mission, vision, and strategic planning engagements to help schools build or refine a shared understanding of their desired future 
    • Conduct visioning workshops to identify preferred conditions and experiences that exemplify a school’s vision for learning
    • Provide consultation to district leaders as they identify adaptive challenges and lead or implement changes in their communities
    • Establish and support communities of practice for the continuous development of teachers’ skills and abilities related to new pedagogies and flexible learning environments. Often, work is centered around high-quality professional learning community practices, project-based learning, place-based education, and other similar curricular or pedagogical approaches.
  2. Learning Environment Design
    • Develop and facilitate interactive stakeholder engagements with schools and districts that are designing new learning environments to understand the unique qualities and needs of the communities in which they are located
    • Analyze and synthesize data from multiple sources to develop summaries that clearly communicate a school’s intent for desired educational practices and environmental design concepts
    • Observe, review, and recommend shifts in educational practices to align teaching and learning practices with the stated mission, strategic priorities, and new learning environments
    • Collaborate with architects and designers in creating the ideal physical environments and conditions for learning


Qualifications and Expertise

You must have experience planning and implementing Project Based Learning in a K-12 school environment.
You may have experience coaching teachers.
You may have expertise in organizing learning environments including furniture, features, resources, and other classroom elements to optimize the conditions for students to succeed.


Compensation

40 hours per week, full-time employee

This position starts with an annual salary of $60,000 – $85,000 commensurate with experience and region where the employee resides, along with comprehensive benefits that include: medical, dental, vision, 401(k) plan, a wellness reimbursement program, and paid time off.

How to Apply

Please email us at mike.posthumus@fieldingintl.com and cc: nathan.strenge@fieldingintl.com 

In your email, please answer the following:

  • Describe your experiences with Project Based Learning.
  • Describe your experiences supporting or coaching educators implementing new teaching practices.
  • A resume highlighting your professional experiences and qualifications.

Fielding International provides employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants without regard to race, color, creed, genetic information, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, or veteran status and bases all employment decisions only on valid job requirements.

Entry / Intermediate Level Designers

Locations: College Park, Maryland; Ferndale, Michigan; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Warren, Rhode Island; and Singapore

Opportunity

Fielding International, a global leader in school design, is searching for Architects/Architectural Designers with expertise in either sustainability or interior design, to join us in making the world better by improving environments for learning.

The ideal candidate is curious by nature, passionate about learning, contributes to a collaborative working environment, can handle complexity and chaos, is cool under pressure, and is passionate about how thoughtful design strategies can innovate the learning environment.

We are looking for entry to mid-level designers in all of our locations. Our small informal studios embrace a culture where collaboration is encouraged, ambition is valued, and diverse thought is celebrated. Although these studios will be your home base, we offer flexibility in when and where to work, and offer opportunities to travel to our projects around the country and world. We build international teams across our studios to help schools solve complex learning and space challenges. We are looking for people to join our community and grow with our company.

Qualifications

  • Professional degree in Architecture, or Interior Design
  • Proficient in Revit at a minimum; other digital modeling tools welcome
  • Strong design and graphic communication skills demonstrated in a variety of media
  • Flexible, organized, and self-directed individual with the ability to multitask
  • Willingness to travel nationally and internationally

Sustainability

  • LEED AP or WELL AP preferred
  • Experience in using digital modeling software to analyze and refine design for daylighting
  • Familiarity with Energy Modeling and coordinating with Sustainability / Environmental Designers
  • Experience with at least one certified LEED or WELL project through certification

Interior Design

  • Demonstrated ability to create inspiring interior environments for workplace, or learning environments
  • Experience with detailed design of casework
  • Familiarity with environmental graphics

Responsibilities

  • Work as part of a collaborative team to provide planning, design, and coordination of educational projects, with domestic and international travel opportunities provided
  • Attend and actively participate in project team and research discussions around the evolution of learning and innovative design
  • Make recommendations and consult clients on related project concerns
  • Design and prepare deliverables for projects ranging from Visioning to Design Development
  • Assist with material and furniture specifications, interior design, and coordination of architectural drawings
  • Participate in marketing efforts and client engagement presentations

We offer competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits that include: medical, dental, vision, 401(k) plan, a wellness reimbursement program, and generous paid time off.

We strive to create a culture that values and reflects each individual’s personal needs. Our goal is to sustain a diverse community of designers and thinkers in a culture that is collaborative, supportive and encouraging—a place where you are pushed to do the best work of your life and enjoy working each day!

Please send your CV and Work Samples to employment@fieldingintl.com. In your email, please indicate the location you are interested in joining and answer the following question:
How can you help us make the world better by improving environments for learning?

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