EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS THAT MOTIVATE AND INSPIRE

May 14, 2021 by Jayme Nelson

There are as many ways to learn as there are topics to cover. The different school campuses and the people in it are important pieces of our individual communities. They provide children and students with important opportunities for learning and enrichment that can shape their worlds. 

Regardless of the age or focus, the environment that surrounds students can help enhance their learning experience. The walls, windows and floors that make the school and campus what it is can reflect the culture and personality of the school and those who manage it. 

Here is a look at three very different schools and how each incorporates signs and graphics as unique as their organizations. 

Leaf Spring Schools

Leaf Spring Schools offers early education childcare and after school recreation care. When they needed a simple way to nationally rebrand all of their franchised preschool locations, they worked with FASTSIGNS® to manage the entire process. The rebranding solution included  exterior signage, interior signs, wall graphics and bus graphics, as well as some printed materials.

Lettering was added to the Leaf Spring busses and window graphics help designate building entrances. Playground rules were mounted on the outdoor fence to help inform staff and parents, and continue to promote safety. Interior signage mirrored the feel of a small city with street signs for directions. Bathroom wall graphics educate about the importance of hand washing and proper diapering procedures. Rooms and offices have kid-friendly identification plaques, and a dry-erase A-frame board is used to outline the daily events. Window graphics identify the Café, the Lab and the Library, while door graphics label the Rec center. 

The signs and graphics better reflect the fun, kid-friendly environment of Leaf Spring schools and ties in with the imaginative, play-based learning that they offer to the children in their care. 

School of Rock

When a new School of Rock location was opening in Snellville, Georgia, the owner wanted the signs and graphics to communicate the music education center’s distinct personality in a brand-friendly way.

  

Channel letters identify the building at a distance while colorful window and door graphics provide operational hours, designate entrances and promote the educational services offered. Graphics installed on the owner’s vehicle help promote the School of Rock at all hours while driving around the community. Inside the school, large branded wall graphics and an LED backlit logo help set the rockin’ tone in the lobby area. Lesson rooms have logoed graphics and numbered session room identifiers that are incorporated into the light fixtures to create a recording studio vibe.

The School of Rock’s signs and graphics are as creative and unique as the music school and it’s programs. 

Austin Peay State University

During the renovation of their athletic complex, Austin Peay State University (APSU) wanted to maximize their then new logo and branding in and around their football stadium, as well as at other sports venues and fields.

 

A wide variety of signs and graphics were used to extend the branding and ensure that it was consistent across locations. Giant banners, including one that was 340 feet wide, were used in and on the new football stadium. Large window graphics with the APSU Governors logo were applied to entry and exit doors, and decals featuring the school mascot, the Governor, were added to trash cans. Directional signs, including wall-mounted dimensional letters and graphics applied to the floor, now help people find their way around the sporting facilities.

  

Completion of the project resulted in a bold, modern and colorful look for the properties. 

Learning is more than sitting in a classroom watching presentations or sitting at a desk practicing skills on a laptop—it is the experience of the students as they interact with their teachers and peers. It is how they experience the environment around them. The signs, graphics and visual décor that make up a school building or classroom are all a part of the larger enrichment process.