Awards / Scholarships

The Association for Learning Environments does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or any other restricting classification in its selection of scholarships.

John Shaw Award

Overview

The Midwest Great Lakes John Shaw Award is a regional architectural design competition intended to highlight good design that results from collaboration with educators, students, and community representatives.

Entry Requirements

1. The Architect of Record, the Engineer of Record and/or the Educational Facility Planner must be a member in good standing of A4LE and a member of the MWGL Region.
2. The project must have been constructed in one of the following locations: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, or the province of Ontario, Canada.
3. Projects to be considered are those that have been completed within two (2) years preceding the submittal.

Entry Fee & Project Submittal

$150 for the first 2 panels
$50 for each additional panel (up to 4)

Please select your registration option for the number of projects you are submitting and the number of additional panels for each project.

Register

After you register, [email protected] will email you a link to upload your project.

Deadline: February 27, 2026 by 5:00 PM Central.

Award Schedule

Deadline for Submittals	February 27, 2026
Award Jury Review	March 2-25, 2026
Award Presentation	Regional Conference in St. Louis, MO June 1-3, 2026

Please Note: A representative of the submitting project is expected to be present at the time the winner of the John Shaw Award is announced.

Electronic Portfolio Requirements

Project Narrative (400 Words Total)

• Project description clearly stating the educational vision
• Planning process identifying programming process or educational specifications development
• How the planning and educational vision is evident in the design solution
• Special challenges faced and solutions provided
• Cost effectiveness and matching the solution to community resources
• “Green” features of the design
• How does the project advance the development or awareness of effective/innovative learning environment?

Project Drawings

• Site plan
• Floor plans and sections (maximum 8.5” x 11”)

Project Photographs: (Color)

• 3 to 4 photos of interior and exterior
• Before and after photos for renovation projects

Panel Display Format

Plans: Site plan, floor plan, and one or more sections or elevations should be shown legibly and accurately at scale, with numerical and graphic indication of scale. Reproductions of working drawings are not acceptable. Lettering should be kept at a minimum and be large enough for exhibit viewing.

Photographs: It is important that most photographs include teaching areas and preferably contain people to help jury members with scale. Only one exterior signature photograph is required. It is better to have a greater number of smaller pictures rather than two large photographs. Rendered elevations or perspectives may be used but not substituted for photographs.

Mounts: All entries shall be two dimensional and exhibited on a minimum of two and a maximum of four, 20” x 20” x 1/2” foam board mounts.

Composition of individual mounts shall be at the discretion of the entrant, provided that mandatory requirements are met. Permanent-type adhesive should be used to attach plans and photographs to mounts. Names of design firms may appear on drawings, photographs, or other materials to be judged. Lettering should be kept at a minimum and be large enough for exhibit viewing.

You can either bring them with you or ship them to the hotel no earlier than two days prior to the conference. Please label: Attn A4LE Conference and your firm name.

Lee J Brockway Scholarship

Overview

The MWGL Lee J Brockway Scholarship is a regional competitive, merit based award program designed to provide financial support for high school students accepted into college. Each academic year, one (1) student will be selected as the recipient of a $1,000 scholarship award. The student selected should be intending to enroll in a field related to educational facility planning and design. These would include, but not be limited to, architecture, engineering, interior design, facility planning, and construction management.

Click here to download the Lee J Brockway Scholarship Application form.
Deadline: Wednesday, January 24, 2024 by 5:00 PM

Eligibility Requirements

The MWGL Region seeks students who meet the following eligibility requirements:

1. Reside in one of the following locations: States of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and the province of Ontario, Canada.
2. Currently enrolled in the twelfth grade.

Characteristics Sought in Candidates

The MWGL Region seeks students who demonstrate a balance of the following characteristics:

1. Outstanding character, integrity, and self-motivation.
2. Outstanding leadership potential.
3. Active participation in school and community activities.

Submission Materials

1. The Lee J Brockway Application Form.
2. A 1,000 words maximum essay.
3. Official high school transcript through the 1st semester of senior year (or equivalent).
4. College or university acceptance letter (provide a copy of your application if not yet accepted).
5. Three letters of recommendation which cannot be from family members.

Submission Requirements

Lee J Brockway Scholarship information packets, with all required submission forms, are available upon request from Julie Fried. The entire scholarship submission requirements will be accepted by email ONLY delivery to Julie Fried at [email protected]. Completed application must be received no later than 5:00 pm on January 24, 2024.

All submissions must be in PDF format, and contained in one PDF. Please save your submission as: First Name, Last Name-Lee J. Brockway.

Judging Guidelines

Applications will be evaluated on a 100 point system. Point values will be assigned as follows:

1. Completed Application – 10 points
2. Grade Point Average – 10 points maximum
   1. 4.0 on 4.0 Scale – 10 points
   2. 3.5 – 3.99 – 8 points
   3. 3.0 – 3.49 – 6 points
   4. 2.5 – 2.99 – 4 points
   5. Less than 2.5 – 2 points
3. Letters of Recommendation – 15 points (total)
4. Essay – 35 points
   1. Clarity of Expression
   2. Comprehensiveness
   3. Creativity
   4. Knowledge of Subject
   5. Interpretative Conclusions
   6. Importance and Validity
5. Leadership – 15 points (total)
6. Community Service – 15 points (total)

Scholarship Conditions

The Lee J Brockway Scholarship can be received only once. The Scholarship may be used only for pre-approved tuition, fees, books, and room and board. Payments from the Scholarship fund may be used to supplement, but not to duplicate, benefit from the educational institution or from other foundations, institutions, or organizations. The Scholarship recipient may defer for up to one year his/her scholarship award after completion of their high school. The MWGL Region reserves the right to publish submitted winning essays.