More than $215,000 in Classroom Furniture/Equipment Donated to Local Schools After EDspaces

Key decision makers of the education sector involved in the design, build, management or renovation of an educational facility

attended EDspaces 2018, November 7-9 in Tampa, FL, in a city-wide event that drew multidisciplinary teams developing the lastest innovations for educational facilities.

It was a good week for Hillsborough County public schools this November, as county voters Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a 10-year sales surtax that will pump $131 million annually into much-needed upgrades at hundreds of aging campuses across the county. And as an added bonus this week, vendors at EDspaces in Tampa have arranged to donate their furniture to the schools instead of shipping it back home. For the 23rd year at its conference site, exhibitors at EDspaces are donated truckloads of furniture to the host city's schools. It is a great example of the good that can come when people have civic spirit and realize that every bit counts.

EDspaces brought together classroom visionaries and education experts to reimagine classroomand supplies. Some 2,500 people gathered at the Tampa Convention Center this week for a meeting of EDspaces. The conference attracts education leaders, architects, interior designers and other professionals and vendors whose goal is to foster innovative designs in school facilities that maximize the educational experience.

design. Dozens of exhibits were on display showcasing the latest innovations in classroom furniture, technology

One company, Paragon Furniture, took the lead, but as of early Thursday, multiple others had joined, and the Hillsboro Education Foundation, a local nonprofit, worked with the other 220 vendors to reach similar agreements. School and foundation officials tagged what they wanted during the week, and the donated items were sent to the district's high-needs schools. Check back to see a list of these companies deserving credit for building on that investment with this generous gift.

Vendors donated their EDspaces display furniture to 9 different Hillsborough County Achievement Schools. Donations ranged from desks to shelves, chairs, rugs, cabinets, and more. In total, the donations of classroom furniture and equipment were donated over the weekend to local schools at the conclusion of EDspaces, valued at more than $215,000.

Local elementary and middle schools that received the donations included: Foster Elementary School, Pizzo Elementary School, Woodson (PK-8), Sligh Middle Magnet, Potter Elementary, BT Washington Elementary, Dunbar Elementary Magnet, and Burney Elementary School.

The Tampa Convention Center was proud to work with EDspaces vendors to complete these donations as part of our Save the Resource initiative for sustainability in concert with the Hillsborough Education Foundation.


About EDspaces: 

It is the conference advancing the conversation about the future of learning environments. It is where innovations are unveiled and collaborations form, bringing together education’s creative change agents who plan, design and manage innovative learning environments. Leaders from school districts and colleges, architects, interior designers, dealers and exhibitors engage and participate in the ongoing transformation of the learning environment. Each year, EDspaces evolves progressively to encourage networking and give participants an opportunity to forge lifelong professional connections throughout the education sector and experience product innovations in educational facilities. This growing event was honored in Trade Show Executive’s Fastest 50 for three categories in 2017.

www.ed-spaces.com