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King Urban Life Center Charter School Buffalo

This facility represents the fusion of a profoundly unique and experimental inner city early childhood school (pre-K thru 2), advanced computer technology connecting it to a larger educational network, support for multiple inner city program needs for all ages, and the resurrection and the restoration of all stonework of a major landmark and community church.

Led by a small visionary group of dedicated educators and preservations over a period of twelve years, the program was developed with representatives of the neighborhood community, the local primary public education institution, two college and two universities. The group ran a pilot program for three years in a nearby public school to develop its teaching and electronic portfolio techniques before design of this facility commenced.

The physical design provides open classrooms with a variety of adjacent multi-use spaces shared by the school and 11 community programs. All classrooms are equipped with iMac computers and video cameras connected through a Teleconferencing Center to a city-wide network of 15 educational sites. A future Literacy Center/ Library is planned for the existing choir loft. This enables colleges, universities and other schools to collaborate with teachers, students and parents in unique, contextual ways that have not been available in the past.