President’s Welcome
I want to welcome you to the annual conference of the
North Carolina Chapter of the Association for Learning
Environments (A4LE). I am so pleased you could join us
in Winston-Salem, the City of Arts and Innovation.
This year our theme is Building Bridges for Education.
The design of learning environments is evolving
rapidly to keep pace with advances in technology,
concerns about security in our schools, and a greater
awareness of the need to accommodate different styles
of learning. Debates over issues such as school funding,
learning gaps in classrooms, and how to provide
welcoming and engaging community schools that are
still safe for our children can have a polarizing effect on
society. Our conference brings together key stakeholders who are passionate about learning
environments to facilitate a constructive dialogue for solutions to these challenging issues.
The Sunday night reception will be held at the new Forsyth County Central Library, an exciting
and transformative project for Winston-Salem, and a short walk from our conference site in
the recently redesigned Winston-Salem Marriott. The reception will be immediately followed
by a dinner dine-around affording you the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and
make new friendships while experiencing the charm and walkability of downtown Winston-
Salem.
Our keynote speaker, Dave Davlin, is a fun and motivational speaker with twenty-five years
of experience that began as a national speaker in public schools across America. He was
instrumental in the fight for education funding and against drugs in our schools. Dave’s
message has made a difference in the lives of many and I know you will enjoy his presentation.
Our breakout sessions cover a wide range of important topics at the forefront of creating
today’s learning environments and will be presented by leaders in education including many
of our peers. Architects, engineers and educational product vendors will also have exhibits
and be on hand to discuss new trends and products impacting learning environments.
Our final day will open with a special school security panel discussion focused on finding
solutions to the tragic school shootings that have become all too common. We will hear
from key school stakeholders including a school board member, a high school principal, an
assistant superintendent, a school police officer, a security consultant, and a student from
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
I hope you can join us to reconnect with old friends and continue our important work to
advance learning environments. Thank you and I look forward to welcoming you to Winston-Salem.
Sincerely,
Hal Bowen
North Carolina Chapter President