Problem

Over the last century, most secondary and post-secondary institutions have organized their facilities into content-area departments. While there are benefits of clustering in this way, it can easily contribute to an ethos of siloed learning. Today, an increasing number of schools see the value in creating interdisciplinary Learning Communities. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), as well as STEAM (STEM + Arts) regularly emerges as a way to organize.

Solution

A STEAM Learning Community maintains the diversity, agility, and transparency of spaces as a regular Learning Community, but it brings certain elements specific to the field. The STEAM Commons acts as an R&D Think Tank; there is more space for student display; there is a design lab meant for ideating and sketching; there are spaces for testing and experimentation; there is increased storage for the additional science and art materials.

Related Patterns Learning Community, Student Display Space, Da Vinci Studio