KI launches classroom furniture giveaway and space design competition

The K-12 furniture giveaway gives teachers and school librarians a chance to bring their design vision to life. 

Photo By KI

GREEN BAY, Wis. — KI has launched its second annual classroom furniture giveaway and learning space design competition for K-12 educators.

Four winners will each be awarded up to $40,000-worth of KI furniture of their choosing to turn their dream learning space into a reality. Three winners will receive a furniture makeover for their classroom, lab, makerspace, or art or music space. In a new expansion of the giveaway, a fourth winner will receive a school library or media center makeover.

"We're thrilled to host our learning space design competition for the second year in a row and expand this year's prizes to reflect the learning that happens in and out of the traditional classroom," said Bryan Ballegeer, vice president of education markets at KI. "We were incredibly inspired by the creativity of last year's contestants. We're eager to give educators the opportunity to design their own learning spaces to meet their needs and the needs of their students."

whiteboard
Ruckus whiteboard.

Submissions will open December 1 and the deadline to submit a completed design is December 31. Teachers and school librarians are eligible to enter if they are employed at an educational institution in the United States; work in an instructional capacity with any grade from pre-K through 12; and are 21 years of age or older. Finalists will be announced January 19. A public vote will determine the winners, which will be announced February 2.

Entrants will use KI's free Classroom Planner tool to design a custom learning space. Submissions will include a rendering of the space generated by Classroom Planner as well as a questionnaire on what objectives the design achieves, how the design reflects the educator's teaching philosophy and culture, and how it meets students' learning and developmental needs.

In addition to the four winners, eight runners-up will each receive 30 Ruckus whiteboards. Winners' furniture installations will take place between Presidents' Day and spring break in 2024.

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Larry Adams | Editor

Larry Adams is a Chicago-based writer and editor who writes about how things get done. A former wire service and community newspaper reporter, Larry is an award-winning writer with more than three decades of experience. In addition to writing about woodworking, he has covered science, metrology, metalworking, industrial design, quality control, imaging, Swiss and micromanufacturing . He was previously a Tabbie Award winner for his coverage of nano-based coatings technology for the automotive industry. Larry volunteers for the historic preservation group, the Kalo Foundation/Ianelli Studios, and the science-based group, Chicago Council on Science and Technology (C2ST).