When designing studying environments for profession exploration, authenticity is vital. College students profit from studying in school rooms that feel and appear just like the work environments they’re prone to encounter in the true world, utilizing precise instruments and tools dealt with by professionals in these fields.
Authenticity was high of thoughts when the Henry W. Longfellow Profession Exploration Academy in Dallas constructed a brand-new $63 million facility for its career-focused magnet program for college kids in grades six by way of eight—and College Specialty helped district officers understand their imaginative and prescient for the brand new constructing by furnishing and equipping it with genuine office seating and supplies.
“College Specialty did an amazing job of taking our design cues and suggesting furnishings and supplies that may deliver them to life,” says Dr. M. Scott Tatum, the varsity’s principal. “The whole lot tells a cohesive story about who we’re as a faculty.”
Versatile and Purposeful Areas
A part of the Dallas Impartial College District, Longfellow Academy was created in 1984 as a magnet faculty for superior teachers, with college students taking highschool math and science by the point they’re within the eighth grade.
College students even have a possibility to discover varied profession pathways, with every pathway aligning with a corresponding magnet highschool. College students can take introductory-level courses in any of the pathways they’re excited by, and after they discover a pathway that resonates with them, they’ll discover that pathway additional with extra superior courses.
Longfellow Academy was housed in a 65,000 square-foot facility inbuilt 1947, however this outdated constructing now not met the varsity’s wants. In 2020, the neighborhood handed a bond situation to construct a contemporary, 144,00 square-foot facility that would accommodate 650 whole college students. The brand new constructing opened in August 2025.
In designing and furnishing the brand new facility, district leaders wished a constructing that may help future-ready instructing and studying. “We had been searching for a extra mature atmosphere that didn’t appear to be a typical center faculty,” Dr. Tatum says. “The furnishings wanted to be versatile and useful to help creativity and collaboration, with college students working collectively on genuine duties and tasks.”
Any such collaborative exercise mirrors what’s present in trendy office environments, with staff working collectively to brainstorm and clear up issues. “It wanted to really feel genuine,” Dr. Tatum says, “like what you would possibly see in the true world.”
Fixing Key Challenges
For assist in executing this imaginative and prescient, Longfellow Academy turned to College Specialty, which has a long time of expertise in designing, furnishing, and equipping all kinds of studying environments.
College Specialty Senior Studying Atmosphere Specialist Kathleen Williams helped Dr. Tatum and his colleagues select furnishings that created extra mature-looking studying environments that give off knowledgeable vibe, similar to bistro tables and a mixture of conventional and delicate seating—serving to college students see themselves as office professionals.
One of many key challenges that officers confronted was how you can create studying environments that would help many various types of studying. College Specialty solved this problem by suggesting extremely modular and agile furnishings that would simply be moved across the room and organized in varied configurations, similar to furnishings on locking casters and tables that may be collapsed to create more room.
As a result of college students shall be working with energy instruments, 3D printers, and different applied sciences as they have interaction in hands-on studying, having a spot to soundly retailer tools and supplies is essential. College Specialty recommended makerspace tables with built-in storage, modular shelving, and different movable storage models that don’t take up quite a lot of helpful classroom house. In consequence, “college students and academics don’t really feel pinned in,” Dr. Tatum says.
Most of the furnishings can serve a number of functions. For example, as an alternative of selecting traditional-style cafeteria tables with connected seating, officers selected Sico three-in-one convertible tables with bench-style seating that may be eliminated and used as seating for performances. “College Specialty was keen to assist us discover the precise setup to resolve our challenges,” Dr. Tatum notes.
Most of the furnishings can serve a number of functions. For example, as an alternative of selecting traditional-style cafeteria tables with connected seating, officers selected Sico three-in-one convertible tables with bench-style seating that may be eliminated and used as seating for performances.
“College Specialty was keen to assist us discover the precise setup to resolve our challenges,” Dr. Tatum notes.
“Studying Ought to Really feel Actual”
Earlier than transferring into the brand new facility, Longfellow Academy provided 5 profession pathways for college kids to discover: engineering, enterprise/IT, arts and AV know-how, visible and performing arts, and “voice and imaginative and prescient,” which helps college students learn to use their voice to make change by way of prelaw, politics, debate, and mock trial. With the brand new facility, the academy now supplies a sixth pathway as properly: culinary arts.
In line with the theme of authenticity, the career-based school rooms embody studying areas which can be designed, furnished, and geared up with genuine furnishings and supplies that professionals in these profession fields work with each day.
For example, the artwork and AV tech house features a information desk for college kids to apply broadcast journalism; a separate interview zone that’s arrange like a chat present atmosphere; a podcasting studio; and a huddle station that features a tall desk and a shared display screen for college kids to collaborate round. College students use professional-grade cameras, microphones, and enhancing software program to create their productions.
The theater arts house consists of an appearing studio, a scene store with work tables for college kids to construct units and props, and versatile “flipFORM” staging that may simply convert from a flat stage to riser steps to assist academics take advantage of this classroom house.
“Genuine experiences, tools, and know-how assist college students see themselves utilizing these expertise in the true world sometime,” Dr. Tatum notes. “There’s no cause to coach children utilizing supplies and tools they’ll by no means use.” He provides: “Studying ought to really feel actual, not summary.”
Eradicating Limitations
College students, academics, and neighborhood members alike are very excited concerning the new Longfellow Academy facility.
The college’s motto is: “Dare to dream.” The brand new constructing has eradicated the limitations that restrict college students’ studying, Dr. Tatum observes—and college students are actually “capable of dream greater.”
“College Specialty did an amazing job of understanding what we’d like,” he concludes. “It’s good to have companions like that.”
Construct Your Personal Profession or Ed Tech Studying Atmosphere
Whether or not you might be making a devoted lab for a single topic or want a versatile, multi-purpose answer, a well-equipped Profession Technical Schooling (CTE) space can encourage innovation whereas growing faculty and profession expertise. Discover extra inspiration on our web site.