Awards / Scholarships

Edward Kirkbride Award

The Edward Kirkbride Award is bestowed upon a project that exhibits exceptional strength in each of the judging criteria.

2024 Regional Design Awards

Kirkbride Award

Maria Weston Chapman Middle School
Weymouth Public Schools | Weymouth, MA
HMFH Architects

Built in 1961, the existing Chapman Middle School faced an array of physical and educational challenges, including structural deficiencies, inefficient and inoperable systems, and spaces that did not meet teaching and learning needs. The need for a new middle school left the community divided over whether to house all middle school students in one location or to remain with a two-middle school model.

The design team examined four enrollment configurations for both a single- and multi-middle school model, reviewing the two existing schools to determine their capacity and potential for addition/renovation, as well as cost implications and the impact on transportation and redistricting.

Ultimately, a single, new construction 6-8 middle school proved the most equitable and beneficial to the community, both educationally and fiscally.

Project of Distinction

Blanche A. Ames Elementary School
Easton Public Schools | Easton, MA
Perkins Eastman

The Blanche A. Ames Elementary School in Easton, Massachusetts, consolidates three small PreK-2 schools into one. Naturally, the Town sought a school scaled to the needs of its young population. At 875 students, the massing of the building was to be inherently large. However, thoughtful interventions and strict adherence to design principles created safe, comfortable, and easily identifiable communities within the school.

Past Winners »

Scholarships

The Advanced Academy – Cohort 11

The Northeast Region is offering a scholarship for one member to participate in The Advanced Academy: Cohort 11. The scholarship will be given to a Public Sector Member in good standing and who is committed to the profession and wants to become actively involved in the Association at the Chapter, Regional, and International levels but need financial assistance to participate.

The scholarship will financially assist a Public Sector Member with registration into the full program.

Applicants must be a member of the A4LE.

The Northeast Region will award one scholarship in the amount of $5,000. The scholarship award winner will be expected to complete each module of the program with at least 80% to earn the certificate, report progress in the program to the Northeast Region and make a presentation about the program at a Regional event. If the scholarship recipient does not achieve at least an 80% in each module, the region will no longer provide the funding to continue in The Academy.

Submit Application

Please submit your application by April 23, 2024.

Schedule of Scholarship
Application Due	April 23, 2024
Application Review	April 29 – May 12, 2024
Scholarship Announced	May 17, 2024

Advanced Academy Cohort 11

Schedule subject to change

Course 1: Learning Theories: Frameworks for School Design
Instructor: Sandra Duncan, EdD
August 5 – September 15, 2024
Course 2: Educational Visioning and Community Engagement
Instructor: Page Dettmann, ALEP, PhD
September 23 – November 17, 2024
Course 3: Educational Facility Pre-Design Planning
Instructor: Amy Yurko
December 2, 2024 – February 2, 2025
Course 4: Assessment of the Learning Environment
Instructor: Rob Pillar, ALEP
February 10 – March 23, 2025
Course 5: High-Performance School Design
Instructor: Aaron Jobson, ALEP
March 31 – May 11, 2025
Course 6: Project Management / Project Delivery
Instructor: Irene Nigaglioni, ALEP
May 19 – June 29, 2025