Kent Denver School Opens Inspirational Learning Center

Englewood, CO (PRWEB) September 05, 2013

Kent Denver School is celebrating the opening of the Duncan Center, a 21st century learning facility that provides modern instructional and collaboration design elements, technology to enable student-to-student connections around the world, and facilities to help close the digital divide. Through Kent Denver’s partnership with Breakthrough Kent Denver, students from several underfunded Denver public middle schools will share use of this facility and learn to take advantage of digital learning and resources.

The Duncan Center was made possible by a leadership gift from the Duncan Family. It was designed by Semple Brown Design and built by CMC Construction, the same companies that designed and constructed Kent Denver’s Student Center for the Arts (2006) and LEED Platinum Dining Hall (2011).

“The Duncan Center embodies and encourages the central elements of a growth mindset, such as collaboration, deep understanding of complex problems, open-hearted inquiry, and innovative ingenuity,” said Head of School Todd Horn. “This is a space where Kent Denver students can inspire and be inspired, where groups of students can define and solve simple practical and complex theoretical problems. It’s a space that will develop human potential in ways that will have deep impact for years to come.”

The soundproof, UV-tempered floor-to-ceiling glass walls and dramatically expanded exterior windows throughout the Duncan Center serve to divide the facility into collaborative and individual use areas while allowing full transmission of natural light. Consistent with Kent Denver’s Strategic Plan, the energy- and resource-efficient design of the Duncan Center will assist the school when it applies for LEED certification for the entire Upper School facility.

Key elements of the new Duncan Center include:

• Digital Signage connecting students to a variety of real-time information around the globe, including live news, satellite weather systems, school-related announcements, Teens4Oceans designed underwater cameras, and more. Students will also be able to use a touchscreen sign to schedule and coordinate learning team activities in the eight Collaboration Rooms located in the Duncan Center.
• The Duncan Center Commons, an open space that provides seating for up to 50 students to work individually as they put the final touches on homework, check the latest news, research a project, or take a break and reflect on the events of the day.
• Eight Collaboration Rooms that give student groups a place to meet, facilitating creativity, active group learning, and dynamic interaction. These studios are equipped with wi-fi, white boards, and wireless connections to large wall monitors that readily display group work and easily access many of the world's largest libraries and knowledge centers.
• Four Classrooms fully equipped with advanced learning technology and flexible (name of furniture system) that can quickly and easily be reconfigured to the dynamic and changing needs of small and large group work and presentations of learning.
• The Office of Digital Learning, whose mission is to research, evaluate, and implement digital learning resources that foster strong connections with the global community of learners, represent exceptional promise in terms of pedagogical design and content, and adapt and respond to individual learners.
• A Memorabilia Display honoring and celebrating the legacy of our predecessor schools, Kent School for girls and Denver Country Day for boys.
• A Global Teleconferencing Center that connects Kent Denver students with other schools worldwide via a life-sized HD video conferencing system.
• The Boettcher Foundation Library, containing a collection of those books that have been consistently checked out by students in the past. The library continues the powerful legacy of world-class printed material.

Kent Denver School is an independent day school serving 685 students in grades 6 through 12. Kent Denver’s forward-looking liberal arts program inspires students to think critically and creatively, to write and speak persuasively, and to deepen their understanding of the world around them. All members of the Kent Denver community—students, faculty, staff, parents, and administrators—embrace the school’s core values: Integrity, Respect, Personal Growth, Community, and Wisdom. Please visit us at http://www.kentdenver.org.

Breakthrough Kent Denver is a tuition free, educational non-profit program working in conjunction with Denver Public Schools and Kent Denver School to provide increased educational opportunities for under-resourced middle school students from Denver public middle schools. Breakthrough also trains and encourages talented high school and college students to enter careers in urban education. Please visit us at http://www.breakthroughdenver.org.

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