Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Will the kid gamers of today design the airports of tomorrow? The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) annual Airport Design Challenge took flight on April 1 and is open for enrollment. The challenge helps students design virtual airports using the Microsoft game Minecraft. Students studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) across the globe will meet aviation professionals […]
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the approval of 61 Smart Schools Investment Plans focused on reimagining education in an evolving age and boosting school security. The approved plans, totaling $31.4 million, are part of the $2 billion Smart Schools Bond Act, a sweeping education technology program established in 2014. “Inefficient technology was a huge […]
The design of indoor and outdoor spaces has the power to shape not just how we use an area, but also how we feel about it. Design can help inform whether someone wants to meet friends or move through an area quickly. It can even discourage crime. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is a […]
The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, in collaboration with the Green Schools National Network, has announced the recipients of the 2023 Best of Green Schools Awards. The awards celebrate the leaders—individuals, schools, campuses, and organizations—advancing the groups’ shared vision of green schools. “This year’s awardees represent the leading edge of a movement to […]
Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month. New Museum Under Lincoln Memorial The National Park Service (NPS) is kicking off a public-private project to add an immersive museum beneath the Lincoln Memorial and other upgrades at the historical landmark. Fittingly enough, the NPS made […]
As Black History Month began on Feb. 1, Howard University—one of the most prominent Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)—jumpstarted a series of major campus development projects. Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA announced the beginning of extensive renovations during a groundbreaking ceremony and “hard hat” tour at its Myrtilla Miner Building, a 109-year-old landmark […]
The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released a new report, “School Facilities Funding in the Pandemic,” which found U.S. school districts are widely committing funding from last year’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) to upgrade or improve their air filtration and heating/cooling systems—more so than for other facility improvements. The […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced 26 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners across 14 states and the District of Columbia, recognizing their achievements in the design, manufacture, selection, and use of products with safer chemicals. The Safer Choice program helps consumers and purchasers for facilities, such as schools and office […]
A new survey finds that the vast majority of teachers (74%) nationwide are concerned about the indoor air quality in their schools and on buses, citing the negative impacts it has on the health and productivity of teachers, faculty, and students. The results highlight the growing importance teachers place on working in a healthy, safe, […]
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released a Notice of Intent (NOI) announcing $80 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to make public K-12 schools more energy efficient and lower their energy costs, including some of the nation’s highest-need schools. The funding is the first tranche of the Renew America’s Schools grant program created by […]