From Pathfinding to Practice: Learning Communities at Scale

Global Learning Commons

Designing a Community-Centered Elementary School

In April 2025, Singapore American School (SAS) opened a 540,000-square-foot elementary campus that’s redefining what’s possible at scale. Organized into Learning Communities of 88 students, with flexible learning studios and play woven throughout a vertical campus, the school proves that even the largest environments can feel personal, connected, and deeply human.But the building is only part of the story.This project began years earlier with Pathfinding, a prototyping process both investigative and illustrative of the types of learning spaces and practices that would bring to life the SAS vision of personalized learning, and the joy and purpose at the core of its strategic plan. Through a series of very intentional summer renovations, teachers, students, and families were able to see what the future of learning spaces might look like and, more importantly, provide feedback that did more than inform the design; they shaped how the school would ultimately function, adapt, and grow once students moved in.Join Jen Sparrow, Deputy Superintendent at SAS, for an inside look at the journey from first Pathfinder sessions to life inside the building nine months after opening. Jen will share what’s working, what requires adjustment, and how sustained coaching and community alignment helped educators transition into entirely new models of teaching and learning.In this session, you’ll explore:<ul><li>How Pathfinder projects and ongoing community input shaped the Learning Community model—and why that groundwork mattered once the doors opened </li><li>Which design strategies are having the greatest impact on students, families, and staff, and which assumptions evolved through real-world use </li><li>How instructional coaching supported teachers as they adapted to flexible studios, collaborative teaching teams, and new rhythms for the school day </li><li>The realities of translating an ambitious, community-driven vision into practice—from alignment challenges to implementation lessons</li></ul>This is an honest conversation about innovation in action: the early listening, the lived experience, the course corrections, and the ongoing work of creating learning environments where design, pedagogy, and wellbeing truly reinforce one another.

Our {communityGuidelinesLink} describe the sort of content we prohibit on Eventbrite. If you suspect an event may be in violation, you can report it to us so we can investigate.

To report other categories of prohibited or illegal content, submit {link}

From Pathfinding to Practice: Learning Communities at Scale

More events from Global Learning Commons

Discover more events from Global Learning Commons, from Family & Education to other experiences you might love.

From Pathfinding to Practice: Learning Communities at Scale

More events from Global Learning Commons

Discover more events from Global Learning Commons, from Family & Education to other experiences you might love.

More Family & Education events

Browse more Family & Education events with different dates, prices, and formats to find your next great experience.