Schools all over the world are being reinvented to meet the needs of an ever-changing global economy. The world is shrinking; knowledge is no longer a commodity restricted to the privileged. Developing nations are accessing the information superhighway and have passed some of the super powers. Corporations are consolidating globally and outsourcing to locations with large skilled labor forces.

The goal of the DesignShare Awards is to find those learning environments that meet at the crossroads of innovative design and pioneering educational programs. Three Patterns of Innovation stick out this year: School as the Real-World, Community Involved in the Design Process, and Sustainable Design.

Honor Awards: Hazelwood School For The Multiple Sensory Impaired (Glasgow, United Kingdom)

Honor Awards: The International School (The Hague, Netherlands)

Merit Awards: Trias VMBO (Krommenie, Netherlands)

Merit Awards: IBERDROLA (Madrid, Spain)

Merit Awards: ADHARSHILA VATIKA (New Delhi, India)

The 2008 winning projects include:

• 2 Honor Awards
• 8 Merit Awards
• 4 Citation Awards
• 14 Recognized Value Awards

Teams of educators and architects submitting projects were asked to describe ideas that enhance learning, as well as innovations in planning, programming and design that facilitate education. The DesignShare Awards program recognizes projects that– by design –support the learning process, anticipate change, and inspire unimagined possibilities.

Citation Awards:Westminster Academy at The Naim Dangoor Centre (London, United Kingdom)

Citation Award: Menea Developed School project (Menea, Egypt)

Recognized Value Awards: Academy of Information Technology & Engineering (Stamford, CT, United States)

Recognized Value Awards: Jackson Community College (Jackson, MI, United States)

Recognized Value Awards: Santa Fe Indian School (Santa Fe, NM, United States)