Students at Kellyville’s Academy of Alternative Education could soon see the classroom of their dreams come to reality.
Alternative education director and teacher Jennifer Childers is one of 12 finalists in a national classroom furniture giveaway from furniture maker KI. Mrs. Childers was selected from over 500 teachers who submitted designs for their dream classroom. Four winners will each be awarded $40,000-worth of furniture to bring their visions to life.
In an interview with Sapulpa Times, Childers, who has been in education for over 20 years, said that she found the perfect partners in coming up with an imaginative new classroom: her students.
“It was a challenge, but they were up for it,” she said. “A lot of the questions (about the classroom) were about the needs, so there was no one better to hear from that the students.
Childers involved her students deeply in the process. Each one was given a title and ownership of their particular piece of the application and design process, everything ranging from color palette to furniture selection to form and function. “It was great to give (the students) a chance to have a voice in their own classrooms,” she said.
Kellyville Academy is part of the high school, but differs from a traditional classroom setting in the sense that each of its 21 students are on a different schedule and have an individualized learning experience. All of her students come from low-income households and 30% are recovered dropouts. Based on students’ input, her design embraces color theory and tactile learning so students can easily switch between arts, sciences, and learning life skills in a classroom many consider their “second home.”
The contest now goes to a public vote, with Mrs. Childers hoping to beat out two other finalists in her geographic region. The poll is open now through Sunday, November 17 at ki.com/giveaway. Winners will be announced Wednesday, November 20.
Childers told Fox23 that even if they didn’t win, “those children have formed a connection and learned lessons that will carry on into their next chapter in life.”
See Childers’ submission video:
