More Information

Smart Growth Schools

Smart Growth Schools are defined as:

  • reuse of existing older schools as schools
  • reuse of existing older buildings as schools
  • design and construction of new neighborhood schools that respect the community character
  • construction of green schools
  • adaptive reuse of abandoned schools

Additional Resources:

Smart Growth School

 

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, Preserving Historic Neighborhood Schools

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF) has created a resource list of links, books, and journal articles on the preservation of historic schools, providing financial and administrative preservation tools, and presenting school preservation case studies:

 

The Fight for Free Schools in Pennsylvania

The public schools of today are the result of the successful outcome of a great struggle waged in 1834 and 1835 that laid the legislative foundation for the tremendous development of the public school system in Pennsylvania.

 

21st Century School Fund

The 21st Century School Fund (21CSF) was founded in 1994 on the premise that communities are responsible for creating healthy, safe, and educationally appropriate learning environments. 21CFS has researched and published a number of guides to assist communities and local school boards in making decisions regarding school facilities, including:

Additional 21CSF publications can be downloaded at the 21st Century School Fund website.

 

Memories from Miller

Essays and Artwork from Students and Mentors in the Mercy/Miller After-School Enrichment Program; Plus a History of Miller School by Patty Sughrue.

A great way to interest the community about the history of their school is to involve students. Let the children discover the interesting architectural facets of the building, research past citizens or family members who attended the school and made a difference in their community. One program, developed by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, partnered with an existing after-school program sponsored by Mercy Hospital at Miller African-Centered Academy. During the nine-month program, students were introduced to architecture as they photographed, prepared measured drawings, and developed an oral history surrounding their school. This innovative project received a State Historic Preservation Award in 2003.

 

Historic Schools Day: "If These Schools Could Talk"

The Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI), in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, celebrates Historic Schools Day as part of their School Building Week program every April. The program highlights the importance of well-planned, high-performing, healthy schools as learning environments and community centers. As part of the initiative, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has developed several curriculums to celebrate the unique environments that historic schools have to offer.

 

The Council of Educational Facility Planners International Publications

 

National Trust for Historic Preservation Publications

 

Council of Independent Colleges Historic Architecture Project

The Council of Independent Colleges has launched an online Historic Campus Architecture Project (HCAP), the first national architecture and landscape database of independent college and university campuses. This project presents information about significant buildings, landscapes, campus plans, and heritage sites of American higher education and identifies sources for further research. Supported by grants from the Getty Foundation, the CIC HCAP Web site documents nearly 2,000 places of historical significance on private college and university campuses and includes more than 4,300 images relating to these sites. To date, nearly 370 institutions have participated. On this site, Web users can find institutions or places in a particular state or region; seek information about a specific type of architecture, designer, or time period; or gather data for future research.