Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District, Conant High School CTE Feasibility Study

Project Overview

Vaysen Studio alongside Barker Architects and Ashley McGraw Architects are currently providing a comprehensive assessment of the existing construction trades learning facility and a proposed design for the new construction of, renovation of, and or, expansion to the Construction Trades Program. Additionally, the school district plans to add three (3) new Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs: Culinary Arts, Cosmetology, and Public Safety. The project goals are to determine the existing deficiencies, assess our future needs, and design an addition and/or renovated CTE structure for the Conant High School.

We have worked with the district and Region 14 community (comprised of Masenic, ConVal, and Jaffrey-Rindge school districts). Our team has worked collaboratively with the district to establish several stakeholder groups to help guide the process. Local industry partners are sharing their wisdom through the Program Advisory Committees (one for each CTE program). Learner experience is core to the Jaffrey-Rindge ethos, as exemplified by the learner design team guiding the process.

Client

Jaffrey Rindge Cooperative School District

Services

Community/Stakeholder Engagement, Feasibility Study, and Existing Conditions Assessment

Location

Jaffrey, New Hampshire

Typology

K-12 Public School

Project Team

Susanne Angarano

Kristen Hill

Prompted to consider the world the next generation of Jaffrey-Rindge students will need to be prepared for, the building committee, a group comprised of a cross-section of stakeholders, has confirmed the following vision as a response to how Jaffrey-Rindge should be preparing students, “New ways of learning with a focus on flexibility, creativity, and problem-solving. Learners should be spending more of the day doing active, hands-on, skills-based work.”

The design team has developed options that were reviewed by the community in December and ultimately submitted as part of the New Hampshire Department of Education application on January 1. We are inspired by our stakeholder-informed guiding principles for the project:

• Engage learners in programs that are exciting, meaningful, and build skills towards a variety of future applications.

• Support and enhance the local community by creating connections between the schools and industry partners, and preparing learners with skills that equip them for meaningful future employment.

• Intentional, responsible planning of CTE programs that support the local economy promoting resiliency for learners, the program, and the community as a whole.