Many of you receive or are a member of Learning Environments Australasia. Over the years the association has moved from solely being about the physical creation of Innovative Learning Environments to also understanding and supporting the why and how of contemporary transformational education. Thus the membership has grown to have 40% Educator memberships with the remaining being designers, architects and town planners. Some key positions are now held by Educators such as the Qld State Chair and National Councillor being Derek Bartels. Many Lutheran Schools are involved in award events or research such as the one below related to intergenerational learning. You may also consider attending some of the professional learning opportunities.
(Acknowledgement – Articles below – Reproduced from Learning Environments Australasia Research Newsletter March 2022)
Grandschools : An Intergenerational learning and living campus : A new Model for Healthy Senior Living and Intergenerational Communities.
Learning Environments Queensland is an industry partner of a tertiary research project being run by QUT, ACU, Western Sydney University, and Fulton Trotter Architects, funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
The study has attracted $1,100,000 in federal government funding and is taking place over 5 years.
The central concept of the study is a proposition of the integration of secondary schooling and senior living physical environments, in order to promote inclusivity, and active intergenerational living and learning.
Learning Environment Australasia’s members are encouraged to participate in the research through various formats of industry interaction.
Building Connections: Schools as Community Hubs
Schools are some of Australia’s most under-utilised assets. During and outside school hours, school facilities can accommodate community sport, recreation and health services, but this is not common.
In the next decade, Australia will build up to 700 new schools to match population growth. This presents a major opportunity to apply new knowledge about how the built environment can support more connected and resilient communities by promoting the development of Schools as Community Hubs.
Linking research, policy and practice, the Building Connections project is informing better design and sharing of school infrastructure to build stronger communities.
Based at The University of Melbourne, with an interdisciplinary research team including members from RMIT University, the project has been funded from 2019-2022 with $495,000 from Partner Organisations and $629,331 from the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council Linkage Projects scheme.
