CALIBER: ChangeMakers ACADEMY

Vallejo, CA

Big Picture

Caliber Schools is a Bay Area charter school whose mission is to achieve educational equity by shifting the experiences, expectations, and outcomes for students in historically under-served communities.Their strengths-based educational program validates, affirms, respects, and supports students, families, and staff members to reach their full potential.

When planning their newest location, Caliber Schools selected TEF Design, a leader in crafting modern, economic and responsible solutions to construct their new charter school.Recognizing the transformational power of color, TEF engaged Project Color Corps to collaborate with the students and staff and bring vibrant color to the school’s blank canvas.

Typically, Project Color Corps works with existing school facilities. This was a first for our team in working on a project where the space was not yet built. This meant that the kids and the faculty hadn’t yet experienced being in the facility and our normal process had to evolve. TEF Design had in-depth knowledge about the site, the neighborhood, and knew who the students would be.

A Conversation About Color

Through an interactive color seminar led by PCC founder Laura Guido-Clark, the students learned about the transformational power of color. By sharing how their favorite colors made them feel, the students gained an understanding of how color can influence not only their environment but how they felt about themselves.

The Transformation

TEF crafted the mural design highlighting and reflecting what the students shared as well as the words of the Caliber School’s Mission Statement. The students felt empowered when they were the ones to choose the final color palette. The students voted and SPARKLY SMART won!