سԹ

Design + Construction Symposium

Early Bird Ticket

Ended June 15
$ 199
  • Full Symposium Accces
  • Coffee & Breakfast, Lunch, Happy Hour
  • Project Site-Tour
  • Networking
Sold Out

Group Tickets

For groups 4+
$ 149
  • Full Symposium Access
  • Coffee & Breakfast, Lunch, Happy Hour​
  • Project Site-Tour​
  • Networking
Popular

Standard Ticket

Standard ticket sales begin June 16
$ 260
  • Full Symposium Access
  • Coffee & Breakfast, Lunch, Happy Hour
  • Project Site-Tour
  • Networking

Are you an educator, administrator or facility management professional within the K-12 or Higher-Education space?
Contact us for information on discounted registration.

The future of schools is being built now.

DESIGN + CONSTRUCTION PROJECT-DRIVEN INSIGHTS

The سԹ Design & Construction Symposium is a premier event uniting the industry’s most influential architects, engineers, contractors, campus leaders and education decision-makers. Hosted at the historic Tivoli Turnhalle on Denver’s Auraria Campus, the symposium dives into the trends, challenges, and projects shaping K–12 and higher education design and construction across the nation.

Expect insightful discussions, high-level networking and project-driven conversations that are shaping campusesand communities in 2026.

Featured Speakers

Learn from Leaders Shaping Learning Environments

Dr. Drew Coleman
Keynote Speaker

Dr. Drew Coleman

Chief of Schools, Jeffco Public Schools

Dr. Drew Coleman is an accomplished educator and administrator who has served at nearly all levels of K-12 leadership across Louisiana, New Mexico and Colorado. As current Chief of Schools with Jeffco Public Schools and former Associate Chief of Schools with Denver Public Schools, he has led initiatives to strengthen instructional leadership teams, implement evidence-based literacy programs, and foster collaborative, high-performing school environments. As his role expands to include safety and security oversight, Coleman will share practical insights on leadership, equity, school culture and how the built environment can either help or hinder student success.

Micah Ali
Micah Ali
Presenter · President, Compton Unified School District

Born and reared in Compton, Calif., Micah Ali brings a keen grasp of the complex issues facing urban schools. Ali is the longest serving President in the history of the Compton Unified School District, where he helped lead a dramatic turnaround of the district’s educational outcomes as well as help pull it from the brink of state receivership. Ali brings robust experience in land use and development, developing ground-breaking partnerships that have significantly improved student achievement and opportunity. He was foundational to the development of the celebrated Compton High School and will help oversee the development of the upcoming Centennial and Dominguez Hills High School projects.

Erika Ashauer, ALEP, EDAC
Erika Ashauer, ALEP, EDAC
Panelist · Human Experience Research Lead, PK-12 Studio, HCM

Erika Ashauer, ALEP, EDAC, is a design researcher whose work draws on cognitive neuroscience, environmental psychology, and educational practice to understand how learning environments shape the human experience. At HCM, she specializes in PK-12 schools, focusing on translating research into actionable design strategies around neuroinclusive design, regulation, and well-being. Her work is driven by the question of how physical environments become active participants in learning, health, and connection and what happens when design intent and lived experience converge.

Chuck Amos
Chuck Amos
Moderator · Chief Executive Officer, SchoolBondFinder

Chuck Amos has more than 30 years of experience in the EdTech industry and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Florida-based The Amos Group. There, he has created a variety of programs serving the education industry, including state-wide implementation of programs, professional development offerings, school networking, technology planning and implementation, and educational budgeting at the local, state and national levels. The Amos Group publishes SchoolBondFinder for education solution providers and SchoolBondNetwork for school district administrators to better network and collaborate with each other on purchasing, best practices and implementations of large capital projects.

Joel Williams, LEED AP BD+C, NCARB, ALEP
Joel Williams, LEED AP BD+C, NCARB, ALEP
Panelist · Studio Director, QKA Castle Rock, Colo.

Joel Williams joined QKA in 2020 as a Studio Director. He is particularly aware of the impact that educational spaces have on the students and teachers who occupy them, believing that innovative school design can improve the quality of education and foster a positive trajectory for the students. He is personally invested in providing the best design possible to inspire and shape students as they learn and grow into the best version of themselves. He is also passionate about sustainable design and building systems and mechanics. By combining thoughtful integration of recycled and renewable resource strategies with crafted structural solutions, he believes it is possible to create high-performance, sustainable architecture.

David J. Henderson
David J. Henderson
Panelist · Deputy Chief of Operations, Cherry Creek School District

David J. Henderson is the Deputy Chief of Operations for Cherry Creek School District, with more than 25 years of experience in K–12 construction and facilities leadership across three Colorado school districts. He has overseen major capital improvement, construction and renovation projects totaling approximately two million square feet, working with district leaders, architects, contractors and community stakeholders to create safe, functional and innovative learning environments. His portfolio includes the Englewood Campus, Colorado’s Finest High School of Choice, the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus and expansion, Traverse Academy, Woodland Elementary School and Phase I of the Cherry Creek High School replacement project.

Martha Nelson
Martha Nelson
Panelist · Director of Planning, Design & Construction, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Martha Nelson is the Director of Planning, Design & Construction at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she leads campus planning, capital project delivery and strategic facility initiatives. Known for her collaborative leadership style and strong stewardship of public resources, she has helped lead one of the largest capital investment programs in the university’s history. She currently serves as the institutional representative for MSU Denver’s first student housing development, a mass timber project under construction on the Auraria Campus.

Dr. Drew Coleman
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Drew Coleman
Chief of Schools, Jeffco Public Schools

Dr. Drew Coleman is an accomplished educator and administrator who has served at nearly all levels of K-12 leadership across Louisiana, New Mexico and Colorado. From the classroom to district leadership, he understands the evolving needs of students, teachers and decision-makers. As current Chief of Schools with Jeffco Public Schools and former Associate Chief of Schools with Denver Public Schools, he has led initiatives to strengthen instructional leadership, implement evidence-based literacy programs and foster collaborative, high-performing school environments. As his role expands to include safety and security oversight, Coleman will share practical insights on leadership, equity, school culture and how the built environment can help or hinder student success.

Micah Ali
Presenter
Micah Ali
President, Compton Unified School District

Born and reared in Compton, Calif., Micah Ali brings a keen grasp of the complex issues facing urban schools. Ali is the longest serving President in the history of the Compton Unified School District, where he helped lead a dramatic turnaround of the district’s educational outcomes as well as help pull it from the brink of state receivership. Ali brings robust experience in land use and development, developing ground-breaking partnerships that have significantly improved student achievement and opportunity. He was foundational to the development of the celebrated Compton High School and will help oversee the development of the upcoming Centennial and Dominguez Hills High School projects.

Erika Ashauer
Panelist
Erika Ashauer, ALEP, EDAC
Human Experience Research Lead, PK-12 Studio, HCM

Erika Ashauer, ALEP, EDAC, is a design researcher whose work draws on cognitive neuroscience, environmental psychology, and educational practice to understand how learning environments shape the human experience. At HCM, she specializes in PK-12 schools, focusing on translating research into actionable design strategies around neuroinclusive design, regulation, and well-being. Her work is driven by the question of how physical environments become active participants in learning, health, and connection and what happens when design intent and lived experience converge.

Chuck Amos
Moderator
Chuck Amos
Chief Executive Officer, SchoolBondFinder

Chuck Amos has more than 30 years of experience in the EdTech industry and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Florida-based The Amos Group. There, he has created a variety of programs serving the education industry, including state-wide implementation of programs, professional development offerings, school networking, technology planning and implementation, educational budgeting at the local, state and national levels. The Amos Group publishes SchoolBondFinder for education solution providers and SchoolBondNetwork for school district administrators to better network and collaborate with each other for purchasing, best practices and implementations of large capital projects.

Stay Tuned

More Speaker Announcements Coming Soon

Additional industry leaders, innovators and education experts will be announced soon. Check back for updates as we continue to build an engaging lineup of speakers and panelists.

Why Attend

A pivotal moment for campuses nationwide

Rapid growth, shifting demographics, aging facilities, funding pressures, and evolving student expectations are transforming how education environments are planned, designed, and built across the country.

Denver is at a pivotal moment. Rapid growth, urban density, aging facilities, and evolving student needs are transforming how campuses are planned, built, and modernized.

The سԹ Denver Design & Construction Symposium brings together owners and builders at the table to discuss what’s next — and what works — across education, student housing, and mixed-use campus development.

Expect candid conversations, project case studies, and forward-looking strategies you can apply immediately.

Who Should Attend

Owners, designers, builders, and facilities leaders

Built for A/E/C teams and decision-makers shaping K–12 and higher ed projects.

  • Architects, planners, and interior designers
  • Civil, structural, and MEP engineers
  • General contractors and specialty trades
  • K–12 district officials and facilities leaders
  • University leadership and campus planners
  • Developers and urban real estate professionals
  • Vendors and manufacturers

Featured Themes

High-impact topics driving the education and campus construction pipeline.

Regional Growth & Campus Futures

Denver’s market outlook

Urban growth pressures, enrollment shifts, funding realities, and what’s driving campus investment across the Front Range.

K–12 Modernization & Safety

Flexible, secure, student-centered design

Designing flexible, secure, and student-centered learning environments for today — and tomorrow.

Student Housing 2.0

Density, affordability, mixed-use models

Affordability, density, and mixed-use models for high-cost urban markets, including modular and innovative delivery strategies.

Mass Timber & Sustainable Campus Systems

Embodied carbon + performance outcomes

Embodied carbon reduction, code considerations, sourcing, and performance outcomes in higher-density education buildings.

Construction Technology & Digital Delivery

BIM, prefab, integrated workflows

How BIM, prefabrication, and integrated A/E/C workflows are accelerating schedules and improving outcomes.

Adaptive Reuse & Urban Campus Expansion

Preservation + code + modern needs

Balancing historic preservation, code compliance, and modern academic needs in dense urban settings.
Tentative Agenda

All-Day Event

Schedule subject to change

7 sessions • 8:00 a.m. start
Schedule
Networking Program
8:00–8:45 a.m.

Registration, networking, light breakfast

Check in, grab coffee, and meet other attendees.

Networking
8:45–9:00 a.m.

Welcome and opening remarks

Kickoff and overview of the day.

Program
9:00–9:30 a.m.

Keynote address

Featured speaker and key takeaways.

Program
9:45–11:45 a.m.

Presentations and panel discussions

Highlighting regional thought leaders.

Program
12:00–1:00 p.m.

Lunch, networking, exhibitor spotlight

Lunch plus time to connect with exhibitors.

Networking
1:30–3:30 p.m.

Optional offsite project tour

Watch for transportation and logistics details.

Program
4:00–5:00 p.m.

Networking and exhibitor happy hour

Wrap up with refreshments and final connections.

Networking
Venue
Sponsorship & Partnership Opportunities
Limited

Happy Hour Sponsor

$2,500

  • Limited to one company
  • Exhibit booth with direct access to attendees
  • Prominent logo recognition at the happy hour reception
  • Full-page advertisement in the event program
  • Four (4) complimentary event registrations
Limited availability
Limited

Breakfast Sponsor

$2,500

  • Limited to one company
  • Exhibit booth with direct access to attendees
  • Prominent logo recognition during breakfast and registration
  • Full-page advertisement in the event program
  • Four (4) complimentary event registrations
Limited availability

Exhibiting Sponsor

$2,000

  • Exhibit booth with direct access to attendees
  • Logo recognition throughout the event
  • Full-page advertisement in the event program
  • Four (4) complimentary event registrations
Limited availability

Logo Sponsor

$1,500

  • Logo recognition at the event
  • Logo placement in the event program
  • Featured email blast to the سԹ audience
  • Three (3) complimentary event registrations
Limited availability