Where Children Love to Learn: How Erie Elementary Built an Educational Masterpiece
The team at the new Erie Elementary School in Erie, Ill., put a lot of time and effort into creating a space that’s not only welcoming and inviting for its Pre-K to 4 students, but also makes them want to learn and come to school every day. The end result is an educational masterpiece that other schools and districts could borrow a page from in this constantly-evolving educational environment. “It’s a space that really sings out what childhood should be about: learning with each other, creating teams, learning how to play, and using all of the educational tools at our disposal,” says Principal Kali Livengood. “The kids don’t want to leave at the end of the day, even though we tell them it’s time to go. So, we’re very proud of this space. It’s definitely a diamond in this town.”
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From Vision to Reality
When Erie Community Unit School District No. 1 welcomed its new superintendent a few years ago, he was set on incorporating cooperative learning into the entire district’s educational philosophy. The district began planning its new elementary school building right around the same time with a focus on “getting students to learn how to talk to each other, work together and solve problems collaboratively in a very engaging and welcoming setting,” says Livengood.
“We visited a local school that had many of the features we were looking for and needed,” she continues. As the group was touring that school, it realized that it really wanted to emulate the campus’ energetic, invigorating vibe. “We tried to model much of our building off of theirs and it came out perfectly,” she adds.
The Power of Flexible Learning Spaces
After evaluating several educational furniture providers, the school’s selection team chose and began working with MiEN, a provider focused on creating innovative and flexible learning environments. “I made a connection with the MiEN team right away,” says Livengood. “They were a great team with great personalities, and they gave us so many options, talked us through price points and were upfront about which mobility pieces would fit with our budget.”
MiEN also offered up options that would better fit the district’s price point. “It was just a constant conversation. I never felt like I was overdoing the questions or taking up too much of their time,” says Livengood. “The MiEN team was very welcoming from start to finish and took care of us and made sure our needs were met.”
This strong partnership was important to Livengood, who viewed furniture as a critical piece of the new school’s complete vision. Outside of the teacher’s desk, for example, she wanted every single piece of furniture to be movable—and sometimes multiple times throughout the day by just one or two people, max.
The goal was to give teachers a voice and choice in what the learning space looked like, and not the other way around. “We wanted furniture that would adapt to them, their teaching and their students,” says Livengood. Some teachers have also customized the mobile carts and made them their own, she adds, specific furniture pieces have been moved around, and teachers have asked for help using the furniture in new, unique ways.
“This is very reflective of who we are and what we wanted to do here, and we were able to take the MiEN furniture and do exactly that,” says Livengood, who credits the district’s school board for giving her team a lot of power and autonomy throughout the design and construction processes. Teachers, staff and students all provided ideas in the process, for example, and their feedback was factored into the overall design.
“We learned from the kids about what would be really cool to have, and our teachers were there every step of the way,” says Livengood, who recommends other districts take the time to get everyone involved and for them to be heard. “It was a team project. In fact, I can walk around and tell you the exact conversation that prompted some of the specific features and changes.”
Furniture as a Catalyst for Change
As she walks around campus, Livengood says the STEM room and library are two of her favorite spaces. “The STEM room is a real show stopper with its amazing windows and the library is a beautiful, comfortable space that our students just love,” she says.
And throughout all of those well-loved spaces, the furniture truly is the star of the show. “We had a building, but when the furniture arrived and was unpacked, every day was a new gift,” Livengood says. “We were just like, wow, we can’t believe this is all ours.”