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Gila River Indian Community’s Casa Blanca School Provides State-of-the Art, Inclusive, and Culturally Immersive Learning

Posted by Steven J.W Heeley | Sep 07, 2023

Congratulations to the Gila River Indian Community, the Casa Blanca School faculty, teachers, students and families on this amazing culturally immersive school! The Casa Blanca School has been recognized by the architecture community for numerous regional and national awards. The Casa Blanca School surrounds the students, family, and faculty in the culture, history, language, and stories of the Akimel O'otham peoples. It provides a truly welcoming environment for children of all abilities by providing a fully accessible playground, a sensory room, and a physical therapy room. The Casa Blanca School grounds feature sensory walks and murals celebrating the traditional stories of the Akimel O'otham people, creating and reinforcing a sense of pride and identity for the students attending the school. The School showcases the Community's rich history of agriculture with a greenhouse, planting beds, and traditional styled planters where traditional foods are grown by the students. Finally, the school incorporates the latest technologies with virtual teaching facilities in each classroom and a state-of-the-art virtual classroom, STEM classroom and robotics lab.

Read more about this unique school here: Casa Blanca Community School | JCJ Architecture 

Also, a video of Casa Blanca School is available for your viewing pleasure at https://vimeo.com/843259031

About the Author

Steven J.W Heeley

Of Counsel - Tempe Office

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