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FLAA Launches 2019 Curriculum Challenge

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How would you share landscape architecture with K-12 students? Future Landscape Architects of America (FLAA), a nonprofit organization, has officially launched its 2019 Curriculum Challenge. This annual competition is the brainchild of FLAA Founder Nicole Plunkett and FLAA Curriculum Chair Erin Porter, both landscape architects in Jupiter, Florida at Cotleur & Hearing. With the assistance of many volunteers and ideas, the 2019 Curriculum Challenge encourages participants to develop a teachable lesson plan which can be shared with professionals, volunteers, educators, teachers, and students world-wide. FLAA is asking participants to be innovative, diverse, and creative because there are so many ways to answer the question, “What is a landscape architect?”

While FLAA is a relatively new organization, it has been making big strides since its conception in 2015. Within the past four years, 14 different schools and organizations have teamed up with FLAA to introduce landscape architecture to over 1,000 students ranging from kindergarten to 12th-grade. Seeing the immense positive response from educators and parents, FLAA is working to expand its reach nationwide.

The 2019 Curriculum Challenge is open to professionals and students. There is no fee to submit and the winners will be determined by a selection jury comprised of landscape architecture professionals and educators from various grade levels and backgrounds.

Winning lesson plans will be included within the 2019 FLAA curriculum launch this winter. Professionals who win will receive recognition through multiple press releases. Winning student entries will have a special opportunity to obtain one of three $500 Curriculum Challenge Award of Excellence Scholarships sponsored by Anova Furnishings.

Take part in a groundbreaking opportunity to create a lesson plan with FLAA through the 2019 Curriculum Challenge.  Need an inspiration boost?  Check out the 2018 winners on the FLAA website.

Visit www.flaamerica.org/curriculum-challenge to apply by October 1, 2019!

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Nicole Plunkett received her Bachelor’s of Landscape Architecture and a Minor in Environmental Studies from the University of Florida in 2010. She is a landscape architect and project manager with Cotleur & Hearing in Jupiter, Florida and works on a broad variety of projects including commercial, medical, mixed-use, institutional, and industrial projects throughout South Florida. In 2015, Nicole founded Future Landscape Architects of America (FLAA), a non-profit organization which focuses on educating K-12 students about the career field of landscape architecture. She is an active member of ASLA Florida and won the 2017 Exceptional Emerging Professional Award. Nicole is currently concluding a 1-year Fellowship for Innovation + Leadership through the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) and researching how past challenges within our profession may shape the future.

1 Comment

  1. I just HOPE that one of the “Lesson Plans” has nothing to do with Global Climate Change or Global Warming. I may not be an expert environmentalist…..just a semi-retired LA who has been practicing Landscape Architecture for over 40 yrs. I feel I have done enough research and read enough articles that have convinced ME….that, NO, mankind will not destroy life on Earth. Not via CO2, not via wars, not even via Nuclear weapons.

    In looking at History…..hundreds of yrs. ago, plagues and wars have killed many millions of people…but, we survived.

    From my research, the thinking is that it will take a “source outside of our planet to potentially destroy it”….i.e. a Solar Burst from the Sun that would ruin our Planet’s protective Ozone layer….OR maybe a large Meteor. It was a Meteor about 5 miles wide that hit the Earth millions of years ago that wiped out all of the dinosaurs. But, we now have the technology to “divert” Metros aimed @ Earth.

    I find it fascinating that the Planet Earth has always found a way to SURVIVE…..maybe against all odds. IMO, people who really believe that we can control the CLIMATE CHANGES on Earth are just delusional. Environmentalist said many years ago, that Florida would already be under water by now…..wrong. ALL of Al Gore’s environment predictions have proven wrong….and here he is preaching getting rid of CO2 production by mankind and he’s personally leaving a huge carbon footprint. And, TRILLIONS of dollars will NOT fix the problem. Though, reducing “poor air quality” in our major cities I believe could be achievable…..but, HOW do you get Nations like China, India, Russia, Iran, and hundreds of other 3rd World Nations to cooperate…..answer, you don’t. Even if the air quality in the U.S. was 100% clean…..CO2 emissions is a Global problem, NOT just an American issue.

    If you’re going to create NEW COURSES for furthering the profession of Landscape Architecture…..I would suggest that University Professors educate themselves about “real world” practical design issues…..and reinforce the “basic principals” of Landscape Architecture…..and STOP teaching these pie in the sky, theories to your LA students that do NOT relate to ANY LA job their graduates will be seeking when they graduate.

    I have seen WAY too many examples of LA graduates’ work…..that are very poor examples of autoCAD, 3D sketches, creative designs, lack of grading and drainage skills, no real understanding of the “design process”, poor color graphic or rendering skills, very little understanding of how an LA firm operates, how to put together an effective resume’ and design portfolio, how to do a very effective job interview, not enough education about plant materials, hardscapes, swimming pools, water features, material costs…….all very practical info. that LA students must know IF they expect to make it out in the REAL WORLD. IMO, too many University LA Professors are just not doing a very good job of preparing their students for a successful LA career.

    J. Robert (Bob) Wainner

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