2024 End of Year Wrap-Up: Celebrating a Year of Growth, Community and Innovation

The LEA office will be closed
4 pm Thursday 12 December 2024 - 9am Monday 20 January 2025

As the year draws to a close, Learning Environments Australasia extends our heartfelt gratitude for the continued and unwavering support of our members, sponsors, affiliates, and the entire community. Reflecting on 2024, it has been an incredibly successful year, full of significant projects, engaging events, and achievements that align with our vision for innovative learning environments across Australasia.

This year, we focused on enhancing the member experience and streamlined our operations with the rollout of a new CRM and database, ZOHO. Developed in response to member feedback, ZOHO integrates seamlessly with the LEA website, offering a cohesive and user-friendly platform. Additionally, 2024 marked a record number of Chapter events, demonstrating our commitment to fostering connections and knowledge-sharing across all regions.

Moreover, we extend our congratulations to the 2024 LEAD Awards and 2024 Chapter Awards winners, whose projects showcase excellence in educational facility design.

Conference Highlights

A cornerstone of the year was the 22nd Annual Regional Conference hosted by the VIC Chapter in Melbourne in May. Titled "AMPLIFY: Inclusion Learning Place," this event was a standout on the Regional Events calendar, bringing together a vibrant community to explore and champion inclusive learning spaces.

In November, the SA Chapter hosted the 2024 Regional Day Out in Adelaide, centered around the theme "Learning to Thrive: Weaving Wellbeing," where we explored how educational spaces contribute to student success.

Looking Ahead to 2025

We're excited to announce that registrations for the 2025 Annual Regional Conference, LEA 3001: A Learning Space Odyssey, are now open. This event, scheduled for May in Brisbane, will give delegates an extended lead time to register and plan their participation in what promises to be another fantastic gathering.

The 2025 Learning Environments Australasia Design (LEAD) Awards opened for submissions on 1 November 2025 and will remain open until 7 February 2025.

These awards celebrate outstanding achievements in planning, design, and construction within educational facilities, and we encourage all members to submit their projects for consideration.

New Initiatives and Recognitions

This year saw the eagerly anticipated release of the second instalment in our New Schools documentary series, titled "New Schools 2 – What is the Purpose of Schooling?" Members interested in hosting a film premiere at their workplace are encouraged to reach out to us.

We were also thrilled to welcome our newest cohort of The Mayfield Project participants. This group, spread across Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia, is dedicated to innovative research that we eagerly support.

Executive Leadership Transitions

As we celebrate achievements, we also acknowledge the contributions of our Executive Teem members who concluded their tenure this year. Special thanks to Laurence Robinson (Treasurer), Marino Rossi (Past-Choir) who have served their term on the Executive Committee, and Daniel Smith, who transitioned from Chair to Past-Chair. We warmly welcome Ros Marsland as our new Regional Chair, Felicity Lewis as Regional Treasurer, and Derek Bartels as Chair-Elect for 2026.

Wishing You a Wonderful Holiday Season

To everyone in the LEA community, we appreciate your engagement in our events and initiatives. We hope you enjoy a well-deserved break over the festive season and look forward to seeing you at our 2025 Annual Regional Conference "LEA 3001: A Learning Space Odyssey" and your entries into the 2025 LEAD Awards.

The LEA office will be closed
4 pm Thursday 12 December 2024 - 9am Monday 20 January 2025