2024 MASA Fall Conference

Creating the right learning environment through a carefully designed furniture program is essential for any school district or classroom. Beyond merely replacing old fixtures and outdated technology, the right furnishings can foster innovative teaching methods, support diverse learning styles, and act as a catalyst for educational change. Lake Orion Community Schools embarked on a comprehensive pilot program focused on integrating furniture and technology that let educators take the lead in deciding what their classrooms needed to support their daily activities. Over the span of a year, the district and design team crafted a pilot program that involved detailed planning and ideation to training and outcome measurement. This initiative not only modernized classroom spaces, but also improved adoption of the furniture changes by educators and students alike. Takeaways: 1. Learn the defined steps your district should take to help stakeholders understand a pilot program to achieve the best results. 2. Understand how the process complemented teaching techniques and classroom design with involvement of the educators. 3. Hear more about Lake Orion’s program outcomes, including improved student engagement and endorsement from educators.

Across the state of Michigan, school districts are developing innovative ways to support the physical and mental health of children and young adults in their communities. These initiatives provide greater access to healthcare, improve academic performance and provide lifetime benefits for health and wellness. This panel will highlight best-practices for engaging with the community, convening potential health system partners and creating facility and staffing models to bring the centers to fruition as well as the impacts the clinics are having on students. This session will feature Superintendents from three districts: Ludington Area School District, Grand Ledge Public Schools and Mason County Central Schools sharing how they successfully partnered with local healthcare systems to implement school-based tela-health mental health services and in-person mental and physical health services. Community health partners from Corewell Health and University of Michigan Health-Sparrow have been asked to participate to provide a perspective from the Healthcare systems. Takeaways: 1. Participants will learn about three unique mental and physical health clinics in three different school districts. 2. Panelists will share how the partnership with local healthcare systems came together and how the partnership continues to operate the clinics. 3. Superintendents will share specific student outcomes from implementation of their clinics.