The Samueli Academy Story

ABSTRACT: 

Samueli Academy’s story began almost ten years ago with two local philanthropists who were concerned about low high school graduation rates among teens in Orange County, specifically recognizing foster youth.  There was a need for a school that would give students from under-served communities the kind of care, attention and education they deserved to succeed in life.  The campus is a result of a master planning effort that will serve 480 students with a focus on project-based learning through design and engineering pathways. This session will focus on the stakeholder-driven planning process, the physical space outcomes as they relate to learning and school community, and post-occupancy lessons learned that are influencing the future phases of the campus.

Learning Objectives

OBJ #1  Recognize how social-emotional learning can be influenced by physical space.

OBJ #2  Discover how an intense planning process including a large committee of stakeholders and local business leaders can result in a successful project.

OBJ #3  Learn how the spatial environment can be transparent and welcoming while also extremely durable, cost-effective, and long-lasting.

OBJ #4  Become familiar with educational psychology of at-risk students and how to best support a strong school community and social climate.