Redesigning K-12 schools more like children's museums

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September 14, 2022

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An exciting new piece from Axios profiles Seneca Valley School District's Ehrman Crest Elementary and Middle School. The piece focuses on our Whole Child, Every Child approach and how we partnered with the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh to make the school more immersive and joyful.

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Stemming from this partnership, Ehrman Crest introduces students, staff and families to exciting new ideas around how corridors and walls are used, the building and surrounding natural environment can be teaching tools, adaptability allows for constant curation of physical learning spaces, and how space can take students on learning journeys. All of these new measures are introduced at no added project costs—proving any school can incorporate similar creative environments without budget challenges.

"We wanted to create the best learning space and experience possible for students. In thinking about that as our quest, we made the decision to partner with the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh," explains Troy Hoggard, design principal for the project.

If you think about it, while children don’t always love the idea of school, they love going to children’s museums. We believed the partnership would empower us to create a space that was more compelling, joyful, exciting and successful for students. So the design prompt was truly, could we create a school to be as engaging as a children’s museum? What is it about how museums curate curriculum, and draw students in, that can be transferred to a school?"