October 28-30, 2026 |
Kansas City, MO

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Asia Coffee

Asia Coffee

Senior Interior DesignerSchmidt Associates

Asia Coffee, IIDA, RID brings a thoughtful, student-centered perspective to her work. She is passionate about engaging students as active participants throughout the design process, using their insights to help shape interior environments that reflect their experiences, support learning, and foster a sense of ownership and pride. Through her role on the Professional Advisory Board for Purdue University’s Indianapolis Interior Design program, Asia extends this commitment by mentoring students and reinforcing the idea that creativity goes beyond aesthetics—it’s about designing spaces that meaningfully impact how people learn and interact. 

Wed Oct 28•8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Listening to the Learners: How Student Engagement Transforms School Design

What happens when the true end users of a school — its students — help shape their learning environment? This session explores a highly interactive en…What happens when the true end users of a school — its students — help shape their learning environment? This session explores a highly interactive engagement process that transforms traditional programming into meaningful, ongoing collaboration. Thr…What happens when the true end users of a school — its students — help shape their learning environment? This session explores a highly interactive engagement process that transforms traditional programming into meaningful, ongoing collaboration. Through a case study of Grace James Academy, an all-girls middle/high school in Jefferson County Public Schools, Kentucky, participants will see how students worked alongside educators and designers to d…What happens when the true end users of a school — its students — help shape their learning environment? This session explores a highly interactive engagement process that transforms traditional programming into meaningful, ongoing collaboration. Through a case study of Grace James Academy, an all-girls middle/high school in Jefferson County Public Schools, Kentucky, participants will see how students worked alongside educators and designers to define priorities for collaboration, rigor, and adaptability — directly informing the evolving design.Show MoreClick the title to see all detailsShow More

EDsession (60 minutes in classrooms)Session TypeTRACK 3: From Vision to Reality — Planning, funding, delivery, operations, and safetySession Track
Veena Reddy
Asia Coffee
LaTonya Frazier-Goatley
Brent Braun
Veena Reddy
Veena ReddySenior Project Architect/Principal, Schmidt Associates
Asia Coffee
Asia CoffeeSenior Interior Designer, Schmidt Associates
LaTonya Frazier-Goatley
LaTonya Frazier-GoatleyPrincipal, Dr. Grace James Academy of Excellence, Jefferson County Public Schools
Brent Braun
Brent BraunAssistant Principal, Dr. Grace James Academy of Excellence, Jefferson County Public Schools
Veena Reddy
Veena ReddySenior Project Architect/Principal, Schmidt Associates
Asia Coffee
Asia CoffeeSenior Interior Designer, Schmidt Associates
LaTonya Frazier-Goatley
LaTonya Frazier-GoatleyPrincipal, Dr. Grace James Academy of Excellence, Jefferson County Public Schools
Brent Braun
Brent BraunAssistant Principal, Dr. Grace James Academy of Excellence, Jefferson County Public Schools
Tags:Group E
Allow Registration:No
Capacity Unlimited:No
Indicate how the topic is applicable to Health, Safety, Welfare (HSW) Design credits.:This session qualifies for Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) as it explores how engaging students in the design process directly informs decisions that impact the quality, functionality, and performance of educational environments. Participants will examine how user-informed design strategies influence key HSW factors such as indoor environmental quality, spatial effectiveness, safety, and overall wellbeing. Through the Grace James Academy case study, attendees will gain insight into how incorporating student voice leads to more responsive, inclusive spaces that support learning, foster a sense of ownership, and promote respectful use and long-term stewardship of facilities. The session provides actionable approaches for integrating end-user input into design processes to create healthier, safer, and more effective learning environments.
Learner Engagement:This session is designed as an interactive dialogue rather than a traditional lecture, grounded in adult learning principles that prioritize participation, reflection, and real-world application. Attendees will engage directly with students from Grace James Academy, creating a unique opportunity to hear firsthand how the design process connected to their academic experiences in STEM and beyond. We will incorporate live polling and word cloud exercises to surface audience perspectives—such as initial reservations about student engagement—and revisit those responses throughout the session. A facilitated Q&A will allow attendees to directly ask students how this process impacted learning, ownership, and school culture. By combining peer learning, reflection, and direct interaction with end users, participants will leave with a deeper understanding of both the process and its outcomes.
Learning Objective 1:Identify strategies for engaging students early and consistently throughout the school design process, including best practices for working with young stakeholders to better understand user needs and priorities that influence learning, wellbeing, and educational outcomes.