By Alex Parslow, Sr. Vice President Pre-K-12 Education

HMC/School Advisors’ School News is out! Read about the latest trends in K–12 education.

“Personalized Learning”
What would you do if you could design your school from the ground up? This was the question from the Superintendent of Milpitas Unified School District who challenged principals and teachers to design a “facility to inspire creativity, positive energy, innovation, and joy.” The outcome of this dynamic mandate was the creation of three HMC designed Learning Centers for Milpitas Unified that are dynamic, flexible learning environments for personalized learning.

“STEM and the Future of California Curriculum”
A conversation with Kathleen Moore, Former Division Director, California Department of Education. As the former Division Director at California Department of Education (CDE) for more than 10 years, Kathleen Moore brings expertise and experience to a wide range of issues and projects affecting school districts.

“Implementing STEM in Our Facilities”
Education in California is at a crossroads. This presents California school districts with a unique opportunity to customize student education to meet the needs of their surrounding community and to better prepare students for work and life in the 21st century.

“Investing in our Future Leaders” 
The School Facilities Leadership Academy (SFLA) is an intensive 10-month program sponsored by the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (C.A.S.H.) and the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) that trains school facility leaders.

“HMC’s Designing Futures Foundation Supports STEM Education in California”
In 2009, HMC Architects established the Designing Futures Foundation (DFF), a nonprofit 501(c)(3), to give back to our communities. To date, the DFF has awarded more than $500,000 to nonprofits and schools and has provided STEM education scholarships to students.