Palmer High School: Community Engagement Success

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Steeped in rich history and located in an integral part of downtown Colorado Springs, Palmer High School has graduated thousands of loyal advocates and community leaders for over 150 years. The physical structure of Palmer High School has changed and been renovated throughout the years due to various factors including fire, population changes and education needs. The current high school features architecture from the 1930’s as well as many additions that have been added on throughout the years. The high school has retained its deep traditions such as the Front Nine doors, bell tower, and alumni hall; however, the overall state of classrooms and facilities is far from ideal for the students and staff.

Fast forward to today, and the D11 school district has recognized the need to upgrade and renovate this special place. This project is a once in a lifetime opportunity to “think big” and create a school that boasts academic excellence, extracurricular opportunities and an overall collaborative and innovate space for the students, staff and community. The district has hired a project team to complete a master plan process which will ultimately lead to construction and renovations by 2026.

NES is proud to be a part of the Palmer High School renovation project team. Working alongside national firm Perkins Eastman and local architect RTA Architects, NES and team have conducted a comprehensive community engagement plan. The community engagement process has included a variety of touchpoints including e-newsletter distributions, press release, a public town hall, student, staff, downtown, and neighborhood workshops, ongoing communication through and from the school, and even a student ambassador program. The project team seeks to gather ample feedback to assist in designing the best and right space for years to come.

Featured photos in this article showcase the first public town hall meeting held in September with nearly 100 attendees. A second town hall meeting will be held in October to discuss design concepts. For more information please visit https://www.d11.org/palmerrenovations/home.

 

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