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Contact:
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Anne Taylor 277-5058
Carolyn Gonzales 277-5920 |
November 30, 2001
WINTER DESIGN ACADEMY FOR YOUTH SCHEDULED
The Institute for Environmental Education, within the University of New Mexico
School of Architecture and Planning, announces a Design Academy for Youth to
be held during the winter break, Dec. 27-28 and Jan. 2-4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
"The program helps children learn visual and critical thinking through
architecture, design and engineering," says Anne Taylor, Institute director.
Through two and three-dimensional design concepts students further their understanding
of basic math, geometry, physics, environmental science, history, vocabulary
and language, she says.
Taylor's design academy concept has been well received nationally and internationally.
She recently presented her educational program at the Chautauqua Institution
in New York. The event featured a larger conference on school facility planning.
Architects from all over the eastern United States attended.
"They reached out to me. I did a two-day presentation on developing visual
literacy," says Taylor. She showed them how they could help children read
a plan, how to understand plan view and elevation and how to design a school
of the future. "It's what
we do here in Architecture and Planning at UNM and in the Institute for Environmental
Education programs we provide for children to foster their creative problem
solving, visual literacy and appreciative behavior," she says.
Taylor and the Institute are currently working on a website to serve as a resource
for school districts. In addition to providing information for school officials
on modifying lighting, energy conservation and affecting repairs to provide
better learning environments, the website will offer information on designing
playgrounds as learning landscapes, developing fitness trails and gardens as
learning tools, says Taylor.
Taylor is currently working with Pam Hurd-Knief, the school's development officer,
to establish an endowment to make sure the work of the Institute continue. "The
students at Harrison Middle School's design education program are engaged in
creative problem solving and project based learning. They're eating it up,"
Anne exclaims. Teacher Julie Stoffler, trained by Taylor and others, says "the
design studio is just what middle school students need to learn in a non-textbook
"hands-on" way." A similar program is going strong at the Rio
Rancho after school program.
Taylor has established design-based learning programs in Seattle, Alaska, Phoenix
and Japan. "I work closely with the Japanese and will be judging some of
their work in an exchange program," she says.
Taylor's program is being adapted for use in early childhood educational schools,
schools for developmentally delayed preschoolers and in bilingual schools.
"Our winter Design Academy for Youth will help out working mothers. We
will have professionals in architecture design and education lead the exercises
and discussions and work individually with each student. We will show films,
take the students on
walking tours, and students will come away with a portfolio of their work. We
will keep them busy and they will learn a lot," she says.
Registration fees are $300 per student, which covers a student design kit, workshop materials and snacks. A $25 discount is available when more than one child from a family enrolls. Space is limited and is available on a first come, first serve basis. For more information or to register, call The Institute for Environmental Education at 277-5058.
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The University
of New Mexico
Public Affairs Department
Hodgin Hall, 2nd floor
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0011
Telephone: (505) 277-5813
Fax: (505) 277-1981