Meet Fast Forward Presenter >> David Younkin

What is your Big Idea for Philadelphia?

Designing Spaces That Help Kids Learn

 

We now know more than ever before in history about how to design physical spaces that are conducive to learning. There’s a science behind it; smart, healthy, productive design is deliberate and intentional, and it’s not confined to the classroom. Friends Select School is a 330-year-old educational institution on the Ben Franklin Parkway, but we are in the middle of a physical transformation that could redefine how the city approaches educational design. From including multiple spaces within a single classroom, so that kids can move around (which helps them retain knowledge they just learned), to establishing different seating arrangements to accommodate different learning styles, to building single-user bathroom stalls with communal sinks for all kids, we have a whole new understanding of how kids learn and interact with each other, and why physical school design has such an impact on academic and social development. If we can harness this knowledge, we can transform our understanding of what a school looks and feels like.

   

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Dave Younkin is in his seventh year as the lower school director at Friends Select School. In his 30 years as an educator, he has been fortunate to have a diverse set of experiences in the field of education. Dave has taught kindergarten and 2nd-5th grades in both public and private schools in New York City, Philadelphia, and Media, Pennsylvania. As a literacy professional developer for the Cornerstone school reform initiative, he coached teachers on implementing research-based literacy practices in their classrooms and helped school leaders create structures for collaboration and learning to support educators as they refined their teaching practice. Dave was also the director of professional development at the Children’s Literacy Initiative, where he created PreK-3rd grade teacher trainings, designed school implementation plans, and trained other professional developers on effective coaching techniques. Dave holds a master of science degree in education from Bank St. College of Education and a bachelor of science degree in biology from Loyola Marymount University.