Think Tank

Institutional & Instructional Design

September 10, 2021 | 2:00 - 5:00 PM CST
Host: Ross Jackson
Legat Architects Columbus

"Think Tank 2021: Institutional & Instructional Design" will focus on reinvestment in our education infrastructure. First up is keynote Jane Leach, sharing her experience bringing equitable design to Ohio's most vulnerable students, followed by a panel on how disinvestment affects communities on different scales; the pandemic's residual effects on the evolution of learning environments; and opportunities for reinvesting in institutional infrastructure for future growth. 2.5 AIA/CES LU provided.

Keynote

When Future Ready Columbus set a goal to ensure that 100% of children in Franklin County are ready for kindergarten by 2030, some in the community called it audacious. Some questioned whether it could be done, whether FRC should aim lower, whether the organization was setting itself up for failure. And from day one, FRC's leader, Jane Leach, has said, "We can do this, and we will — by designing a plan that looks at the system around early childhood education and not just its parts."

The Future Ready by 5 plan is the result of nearly a year of research, focus groups, and community conversations. In total, FRC spoke with more than 2,000 individuals before analyzing those insights to create a plan that addressed the community's needs while pushing forward the goal of 100% kindergarten readiness. The organization also created an advisory council comprised of 39 leaders from organizations across Franklin County — and not just those related to education because research shows a child's ability to get a strong start is not simply about the quality of our child care centers. On the contrary, it involves infrastructure, transportation, jobs, persistent unconscious (and conscious) biases. And to change a system, we must understand the system.

The story of FRC, and of Jane's leadership throughout this process, illustrates the importance of solving problems with a system-focused approach and the value of approaching change in a holistic way. And her approach is as valuable in remaking early childhood education as it is in the world of design.

Learning Objectives: [1.0 AIA/CES LU for keynote]

1. By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to identify and acknowledge, upon objective reflection of their professional practice, the value of including an expanded array of often overlooked voices and populations in the design process.

2. By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to formalize new, customized strategies (project/job/client dependent) to integrate other non-AEC professionals into their practice.

3. By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to define the value of including an integrated research process to their practice.

4. By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to demonstrate the value of a taking a systems-building approach as supported by the collective impact approach to problem solving.

Panel

This discussion panel will focus on reinvestment in our nation’s learning infrastructure. The panel will discuss how disinvestment affects communities on different scales, from the economic to the social. We will also discuss the residual effects of the global pandemic and the effects it has had on the transformation and evolution of learning environments. Finally, we will learn about opportunities for reinvesting in institutional infrastructure and how to facilitate future growth.

Learning Objectives: [1.5 AIA/CES LU for panel]

1. By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to identify sources and causes of disinvestment in their own communities, along with solutions for reinvesting in local communities and schools that help their clients better understand the value of design to educators.

2. By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to formalize new reinvestment strategies particular to a post-pandemic world, through reviewing lessons learned over the past 18 months.

3. By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to integrate more thoughtful design decisions when working in communities that have been affected by disinvestment.

4. By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to better structure their project teams to reflect the communities they serve, so as to re-integrate design with local projects.

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From 2:00 - 5:00 PM CST on four autumn Fridays three weeks apart, a different Legat studio will be playing host to a keynote speaker, followed by an intermission and a panel discussion with 3-5 experts (including the keynote speaker).

Event registration will be provided through Eventbrite. Links to the Zoom webinar will be provided via email upon registration. Each session will credit attendees with 2.0 AIA Continuing Education Learning Units (LUs), which will count toward the required annual quota for architects.

Each session will be hosted by a different representative from Legat Architects.