2024-2025 Call for Tours
The New York Chapter is soliciting nominations of projects throughout New York State to tour. While our focus is K-12 schools, we’re also very interested in receiving submissions for other learning environments that are inspirational and may potentially influence the approach to K-12 school design.
These tours are an essential part of our annual activities. The potential tour dates are for the remainder of 2024 and moving forward into 2025 with exact dates to be determined in conjunction with each facility. Virtual tours are also acceptable.
Please submit a school for consideration, before
5:00 pm on September 1, 2024.
Submit
Webinar
September 26, 2024
4:00 – 5:00 PM EDT
Empowering Classrooms: The Role of Professional Furniture Development in Enhancing Student and Teacher Success
Flexible. Agile. Adaptable. Classrooms aren’t the same as they used to be, and neither is the furniture.
The traditional classroom has transitioned into a modern, collaborative, learning environment. Learn how
designers, furniture specialists, and educators can work together to design learning environments to
better support individual learning styles and student-centered teaching. Learn why it takes more than
design and construction to create successful educational spaces and how professional development for
educational furnishings helps educators maximize the potential of their learning environments.
Attendees will gain insights into current trends and practical strategies for overcoming deployment
challenges, hear about successes and challenges on projects, and discover how well-designed furniture
can turn classrooms into vibrant learning hubs.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how educators, designers, and industry experts can collaborate to align furniture design with
educational goals and create environments that support student-centered learning and teaching
excellence.
- Learn how educators and students can harness furniture related services to create equitable, flexible,
and inspiring learning environments.
- Learn what furniture professional development is and how it benefits your educators and students.
- Discuss successes/challenges of major furniture deployments.
Panelists:
Mark Barga
Mark is the Northeast Education Market Leader with Kay-Twelve. He is a veteran educator of 15 years, most of which took place in Pittsburgh. He is a passionate teacher and has written curriculum, designed educational programming, led teams of teachers and departments, and worked extensively on school strategic planning. His research interests are related to strengthening teacher pedagogy through professional development interventions. Mark collaborates with districts and design firms to align FF&E to educational vision and support teachers as they transition into their new, innovative spaces!
Michelle Costello, M.Ed.
Michelle has over 20 years’ experience in education working as a teacher leader, instructional coach, and school administrator in PK – 12 public schools before taking on the role of Professional Development + Experience Leader at Meteor Education. With her area of expertise in Multi-Tiered-Systems of Support, her passion is in working within a team-based approach to create effective systems, structures, and strategies to increase achievement outcomes for all learners. Her goal is to empower educators to create academically engaging learning experiences through an environment that fosters creativity, curiosity, and social well-being.
Michelle received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education, and a Master’s Degree in Reading Education from New York College at Cortland. She earned her Certificates of Advanced Study in Leadership Development, Building Level Administration, and District Level Administration from Lemoyne College. She is certified in Life Space Crisis Intervention and also holds 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training.
Courtney Sevigny, M.Ed., ELCPS
Courtney is an accomplished Educator and Educational Consultant, boasting a rich 19-year history in education. Her expertise shines in her recent role as a building principal for the past eleven years, where she spearheaded a comprehensive, multi-year transformation at her school. This transformation was pivotal, revolutionizing not only the physical spaces and teaching methods within her building but also triggering a district-wide shift towards enhancing educational experiences for all students.
Driven by a profound understanding of the transformative power of space and furniture in education, Courtney has dedicated herself to supporting Architecture and Design (A+D) firms, districts, and schools. Her goal is to reimagine and reshape learning environments in ways that significantly boost student outcomes. Her departure from the school setting was a strategic move to extend her influence, enabling her to work closely with K-12 schools across the United States. This journey reflects her deep-seated commitment to cultivating dynamic, future-oriented learning spaces that benefit both students and educators alike. Courtney's work exemplifies her belief in the critical role of change leaders in education, and her endeavors continue to inspire and facilitate positive change in the field.
Mark Wixson, ALEP
Mark is currently the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations with the Vernon Verona Sherrill School District (VVS) in central New York, where he has served as an educational leader for the past 27 years. He began his career in education in 1995 as a science teacher in the North Syracuse Central School District, subsequently joining VVS as the High School Assistant Principal in 1998, and then High School Principal in 2000. Mark expanded his leadership role, serving the District as Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations from 2006-2012, moving back to the instructional program side through 2018, as the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. A reorganization of the District’s leadership team led Mark back to support the District’s needs as Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations again, which he has continued to serve in ever since.
For the past seventeen years, Mark has been deeply involved in the District’s Long-Range Facilities Plan, including the planning, design, and construction of its learning spaces. He is most proud of the District’s 2018 project, which included a new STEAM wing and outdoor learning and recreation spaces, and proved to have an immediate and tangible impact on student learning. His experiences with that project, and his work with the District’s current project under development, ultimately prompted him to pursue his ALEP credential through the most recent A4LE cohort. Mark hopes to leverage what he has learned through the program to continue to expand on previous projects and deliver an outstanding and impactful educational program to the VVS school community. In addition to the program itself, Mark really enjoyed meeting and working with colleagues from all over the country and of varying backgrounds.
Mark resides in central New York with his youngest of three children, and their Saint Bernard, Tank. In his spare time, Mark enjoys dinner with his children, attending sporting events (Go SU and Go Bills), and desperately trying to improve his golf game without much success.
Registration:
Public Member: $15 |
Public Non-member: $40 |
Commercial Member $25 |
Commercial Non-member: $50
NY Chapter can receive a $10 discount code – must email [email protected] for discount code.
Register