In this article, the authors start with a description of the learner-centered paradigm of education. The key tenets of the paradigm are outlined as: Competency-based student progress, competency-based student assessment and records, personal learning plans, project-based learning, just-in-time instructional support, student as self-directed…

This paper describes the engagement of a student committee in redesigning an entire floor of a university union to accommodate student cultural centers and provide space in a fair and equitable manner. The reorganization focused on the process as well as the task of allocating space, with an emphasis on the opportunity to foster the development of…

The Red Lake Band of Chippewa are investing in education and future generations with a new tribal college campus. The new Red Lake Nation College (RLNC) campus in northern Minnesota will greatly improve not only the college's physical appearance, but will also elevate the community's sense of pride and self-esteem. The impact of the new campus…

A visitor to Saint John's University and Saint John's Abbey, in north-central Minnesota, sees something of Gothic heritage while standing in front of the abbey church, designed and built around 1960. The church's 112-foot campanile--a trapezoidal slab made of 2,500 tons of steel and concrete--stands boldly in front of a huge concrete honeycomb…

This article presents a study on using the PAIR-up model to evaluate active learning spaces. The PAIR-up model takes advantage of interdisciplinary partnerships, assessment, innovation, and reevaluation of current views to support learning space design. Using PAIR-up, the University of Minnesota designed, constructed, and assessed two pilot Active…

"Yes we can!" Those famous three words of the Obama campaign could serve as the theme for the culture of hope and excellence at the Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Many of the students arrive in the 9th grade with reading and math skills at an early elementary school level. Others lack the basic life skills to…

The bricks-and-mortar infrastructure of community colleges has not nearly kept pace with increases in student enrollments. Not only are colleges bursting at the proverbial seams, but, according to the American Graduation Initiative, many two-year institutions "face large needs due to deferred maintenance or lack the modern facilities and…

Shows how architectural design can merge ecological living and learning as illustrated by the Wolf Ridge's new Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minnesota. Photos and design details are provided. (GR)

Describes the award-winning design of the Centennial Middle School (Minnesota) that was built to hold 1,800 students but designed to not seem impersonal or institutional. Explains a design approach that helped give the school a small feel despite its large size while also complementing the surrounding community. (GR)

Explains how Minnesota's first nature-center-based preschool supports its curriculum with a homey, child-friendly country house design. Several photos are included. (GR)

Grand Rapids, Minnesota, built a high school on 196 lakefront acres. Outdoor openness is matched with an imaginative indoor open space'' concept. The school's philosophy centers on career education and is especially committed to programs in forestry and horticulture. (WM)

Findings of a study that determined the physical conditions of Minnesota's public school buildings 50 years and older are presented in this report. Data were obtained from a survey that was distributed to 367 school districts that have 614 buildings 50 years and older. Responses were received from 398 buildings in 242 school districts. Findings…