Kristen Ambrose

Campus safety shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach. This session explores a “grey” approach — promoting wellbeing, supporting neurodiversity, and integrating physical safety so people feel secure, supported, and able to perform at their best. Using real-life examples spanning K-12, higher education, and healthcare, attendees will learn layered strategies — passive design, intuitive planning, and scalable systems — that support inclusivity, engagement, and outcomes, while addressing evolving threats in order to transform safety into a proactive asset.

In this interactive session, participants will implement design thinking to break down learning barriers and create spaces that foster student success and wellness. Through the lens of predefined student profiles, attendees will play an engaging card game to critically examine the unique barriers their learner may face, explore approaches to provide emotionally supportive spaces, and align design strategies with improved outcomes. Evidence-based case studies will demonstrate the application of inclusive design strategies.

What if designing for neurodiversity could transform learning environments for everyone? Explore how neurodiversity can serve as a catalyst for creating learning spaces that are more inclusive, flexible, engaging, and supportive of diverse ways of thinking, learning, and processing information. Discover evidence-based environmental design practices and examine how elements such as sensory conditions, spatial organization, lighting, acoustics, movement, choice, and comfort can influence learning and participation. Through engaging activities, participants will identify barriers within traditional learning environments, experiment with inclusive design strategies, and apply what they learn to create their own exceptional learning environment designed for every mind.