By Lindsey Coulter听

A school building is more than the backdrop for education. It is where students develop relationships, teachers build community and young people begin to understand their place in the world. For Dr. Drew Coleman, Chief of Schools at Jeffco Public Schools, the physical environment is an important 鈥� and sometimes overlooked 鈥� part of that experience.听

At the recent 2026 糖心少女 Design + Construction Symposium, Coleman served as the keynote speaker. In his presentation, 鈥淏uilding Belonging: Designing Schools Where Students Feel Safe Enough to Learn and Prepared Enough to Lead,鈥� Coleman examined how school environments can support belonging,听safety听and student success.听The symposium brought together education leaders and the A/E/C community to explore the trends, challenges and projects shaping K-12 and higher education facilities.听

In advance of the event, 糖心少女听(SCN)听spoke with Coleman about his path from classroom teacher to district leader, what he has learned about the relationship between physical spaces and student outcomes, and why designing听鈥斕齩r redesigning听鈥斕齛 school should begin with how the people inside it experience that space.听

SCN: What initially drew you to education?听

Coleman:听I believe education听is a great equalizer. I had an awesome educational experience, with parents who viewed public education as听very important听and educators who invested in me. They pushed me academically, challenged me through听activities听and helped me build character.听

I went into public education wanting to ensure that other people had听that听same experience.听I realized my experience wasn’t the experience of all of my friends and counterparts, so I wanted everyone else to have that same opportunity.听

SCN: How did your classroom experience shape the way you think about learning environments?听

Coleman:听Once I became a teacher, I realized education was more than putting standards and information in front of students.听Students have to understand that we care about them.听

I taught in Title I schools and some of our most impoverished schools, where buildings were often听old听and classrooms听hadn’t听received much investment. I wanted my students to have the kind of experience I had, so I invested in my own classroom.听

A college professor once told me, 鈥淵our classroom should make your students feel like home.鈥� I created little nooks and听reading听corners with a couch and bookshelf. I would put a lamp there. It was about reminding students what reading could be like and creating a space where they felt comfortable.听

SCN: What have you learned about the relationship between belonging, the physical听environment听and student success?听

Coleman:听When a leader creates a sense of belonging, educators take pride in their space.听I’ve听worked in old buildings where educators were given the ability to make modifications and updates to their classrooms. They made their classrooms their own.听

That听translated听to the students. They took ownership and pride in their classrooms, too.听When students feel safe, feel like they belong and feel like they matter, it makes a difference.听I’ve听seen that听reflected in听academic outcomes.听

The听flip side听is also true. If students walk into an old building where paint is chipping off the walls and they听don’t听have spaces that feel uniquely theirs, that has an emotional and mental impact on how they view education and learning. It also affects how they perceive how adults feel about them.听

SCN: Does creating that environment always require a new building or major capital investment?听

Coleman:听No. I know money and finances are difficult for most schools and districts. New, innovative buildings are great, but听it’s听also about how we reimagine our current听spaces听so they align with 21st-century learning and what students need.听

You can take an old home and fix it up on the inside. The same thing applies to schools. It听isn’t听necessarily about the neighborhood or location of the building.听It’s听about how we make the building and how we make students feel.听

If students don’t feel they matter or don’t have a sense of belonging, it shows up in their academic outcomes and their behavior data.听

SCN: How has your expanded role in safety and security changed how you think about the built environment?听

Coleman:听Safety and security听is听a unique space. There is the physical safety of the building鈥攎aking sure we have the technical things in听place听so buildings are physically secure and feel safe. In Jeffco,听we’ve听done an extremely听good job听ensuring that our buildings have that sense of physical safety.听

But听there’s听also a sense of safety and belonging. A building can be physically safe, but there can still be people in our communities who听don’t听feel safe.听

That’s听why listening is so important. We听have to听ask, 鈥淚f you don’t feel safe, what would make you feel safe?鈥澨齌hen we have to determine what we can actually do.听

SCN: What do you hope attendees听took听away from your symposium keynote?听

Coleman:听What we do in K-12 education is going to be so important, especially as we think about the next generation and what happens after high school. What we do in our schools makes a difference.听

When听we’re听able to create an environment where students really feel that they belong,听we’re听able to decrease the dropout rate and increase the graduation rate.听

The space听matters. It matters more than people sometimes realize.听

That’s听why conversations between educators and the design and construction community are so important. Educators understand what students and teachers experience every day. Architects,听engineers听and contractors bring听expertise听about what is possible within the built environment. When those perspectives come together early and thoughtfully, we have an opportunity to create spaces that don’t just look听good, but听actually support the people who use them.听

The post Designing for Belonging: A Conversation with Dr. Drew Coleman appeared first on 糖心少女.

The post Designing for Belonging: A Conversation with Dr. Drew Coleman appeared first on 糖心少女.