Washington Chapter

The geographic area served consists of the state of Washington.

Regional Manager: Donna Robinson, CMM, CMP

Tour & Dinner Meeting

March 28, 2023
Tour: 4:30 – 5:30 pm PT
Dinner Venue: 6:00 – 8:00 pm PT

Fife HS STEAM School

5616 20th St, Fife, WA 98424

Fife STEAM
Fife STEAM
Fife STEAM
The 31,000 SF STEAM Center collocates the school’s previously independent Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math programs into 11 new teaching stations within a singular learning center to encourage cross-discipline collaboration and support the District’s four “C’s”—Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, and Creativity. This is the first step in the eventual redevelopment of the Fife High School campus. The design reflects the history and culture of Fife and Fife High School and fits aesthetically and programmatically within the existing campus. The face presented to the community conveys the current high quality of education and sets a standard for the new Fife High School that will eventually stand alongside the STEAM Center. During the design process McGranahan worked with the District and High School staff to determine how their STEAM curriculum could be best supported with this new facility. We worked with educators to collectively develop a working definition of STEAM that was specific to Fife High School which included the fundamental pedagogical principles of inquiry, exploration, and discovery. STEAM is less about the core subjects that make up the abbreviation and more about an approach to learning. It is the acknowledgement that the knowledge gained in a lived experience is much richer than the act of simply digesting and recalling facts. STEAM at Fife High School engages students in project-based, experiential learning, challenging them to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems through inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. This approach to teaching and learning is manifested in a diverse complement of learning settings which are open and available to all students. The Fife High School STEAM Center of Innovation encourages students to generate questions and identify problems; supports them as they consider, investigate and evaluate those problems; and inspires them to become capable producers, creators, and communicators.

Learning Objectives:
  • Discuss ways that a new facility can inspire a future approach to teaching and learning, acting as a bridge between former and future, for subsequent phases of the replacement of a high school.
  • Explore how a design can support students in project-based, experiential learning, challenging them to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems through inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking.
  • Explore how a group of specialized programs in a stand alone building can be open and accessible for all students.
  • Experience how formal arrangements of solid and transparent elements, open collaborative spaces and vertical circulation with tailored orientation to surrounding context creates a place that invites creativity and a sense of community.
  • See how a deep inquiry on a theme, in this case STEAM, can lead to innovative understanding of teaching, learning and the role of the learning environment.
  • Explore how the project navigated the parameters of designing and working on a tight site on an occupied, high school campus.
Project Team:
Architect of Record: McGranahan Architects
Landscape Architect/ Civil Engineer: AHBL
Structural Engineer: PCS Structural
Electrical & mechanical Engineer: BCE Engineers
Contractor: Pease Construction
Specialized Consultants:
   Acoustics: BRC Acoustics
   Cost Estimator: Rider Levett Bucknall
Owner: Fife School District No. 417

Schedule:
4:30 – 5:30 pm Tour
Fife HS STEAM School
5616 20th St
Fife, WA 98424
6:00 – 8:00 pm    Dinner Venue
Historic 1625
1625 South Tacoma Way
Tacoma, WA 98409

Rates:
Members (Early) $50.00
Non-Members (Early)   $60.00
Members (Late) $60.00
Non-Members (Late) $70.00
School Districts / Public Agencies    $30.00

Early bird ends March 24, 2023. Please register so we can get an accurate head count.

Register

We greatly appreciate your attendance and active participation in our chapter events.


2023 Annual Chapter Conference

InspirED   May 31 – June 3, 2023
InspirED
Semiahmoo Resort Golf & Spa
Blaine, WA

Click here for more information and to register for the conference.


2023 Pacific Northwest Regional Conference

Imagine the Possibilities April 19-22, 2023
Imagine the Possibilities
Hyatt Regency Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Click here for more information and to register for the conference.


2022 Polished Apple Award Winners

Winner

Highline High School Highline High School
Highline Public Schools
Burien, WA
Bassetti Architects

Submittal »
Merit
The Little School The Little School
Bellevue, WA
Studio Meng Strazzara
People’s Choice Award Winner
Salem Woods Elementary School Salem Woods Elementary School
Monroe School District
Monroe, WA
DLR Group

Submittal »

View All Entries »  


Thank you to our 2022-2023 Sponsors

Valedictorian

BCE CPL
Hargis Engineers
Weisman Design Group

Salutatorian

NAC

Magna Cum Laude

AHBL Integrus
  OAC

Dean's List

Metrix 

Honor Roll

Contributor

Get Involved!

Join a Committee today!

The Washington Chapter is looking for committee members to help shape the future of the chapter. If you are interested in volunteering to serve on a committee, please contact Chapter President Kyle McLeod

Committees:
20 Under 40
SchoolsNEXT
Equity & Diversity
Chapter Programs
Social Media
Technology
Sponsorship
Membership
Holiday Party
Day of Service
School Design Best Practices
Chapter Conference

Upcoming Events

March 28, 2023
Tour & Dinner Meeting

April 19-22, 2023
Pacific Northwest Regional Conference

May 31 – June 3, 2023
Washington Chapter Conference

TAC Representatives Approved by the Board!

The Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) Washington Chapter is recognized as a valuable stakeholder and partner to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and has been invited to have representatives sit on the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).  A4LE has had representatives from both Western and Eastern Washington on TAC for several decades and we have identified two new representatives from our Chapter to be our representatives for this committee. TAC meets quarterly with meetings typically occurring in Fife.  

The primary function of the TAC is to provide technical assistance and advice to OSPI, which includes the following responsibilities:
  • Promote cost effective planning, design, and construction of public schools in order to achieve reduced maintenance and operation costs.
  • Provide expertise and advice on technical matters related to the construction, modification, and maintenance of school facilities throughout the state.
  • Facilitate communication between OSPI and professional organizations on technical issues.
  • Represent field conditions and school districts.
  • Recommend changes to enhance and improve service to school districts.

Find out more about TAC.

Please welcome Gregory Forsyth from Spokane Public Schools to represent Eastern Washington, and Noah Greenberg, AIA from Seattle Public Schools, representing Western Washington.

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