What is CTE?  

Career and Technical Education (CTE) is a specialized form of education that provides students with the knowledge and skills they need to pursue a career. CTE programs are offered at the high school, college, and adult levels and focus on specific career paths, such as business and finance, healthcare, engineering, manufacturing, information technology, hospitality and tourism, and many more. They are designed to prepare students for the workforce and provide them with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in their chosen career.  

Designing Inclusive, Calming, and Colorful Classroom Spaces for Special Education Students

MooreCo specializes in creating educational and professional environments that are suited to every learning style and background, empowering all students and workers to thrive. No student group is more diverse than special education students. With a variety of physical and sensory needs and experiences, special education students deserve to learn within a classroom that fully accommodates them. Per the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) of 1990, special education students are legally entitled to a “free and appropriate education” in the “least restrictive environment,” one that allows them to move, create, absorb information, and thrive in the learning process. MooreCo is committed to developing these special education spaces so that students with various learning abilities have the same access to a safe and welcoming classroom environment. Giving special education students the freedom to move and create in a sound-sensitive classroom with easy access to the outdoors, surrounded by faculty who are knowledgeable and prepared is the ultimate goal.  

From a flexible environment that allows them to shape their own workspace, to immersing themselves in communities that reflect who they are, Generation Z is revolutionizing the way we construct educational and professional spaces. Gen Z is a generation that deeply cares, and they want the places where they learn and work to share those same values. They deserve ergonomic furniture that assists in curating those environments.  

What is CTE?  

Career and Technical Education (CTE) refers to the process of experiential learning, a practice that allows students to test-drive future career paths through real-world experience before or while pursuing higher education. Traditional learning methods encourage reading, research, and gathering information on a subject before entering the field, while CTE environments emphasize learning by doing, gaining experience on the job, and strengthening technical skills, knowledge, and training necessary to become a lifelong learner. CTE prepares learners for workplace competence by making academic content accessible within a hands-on environment.  

How Our New Elate Furniture Elevates the Classroom, Office, and Work from Home Spaces

Elate is our newest practical, dynamic line of furniture that is fit to inspire any professional or educational environment. Gen Z-ers are positioned to thrive by taking advantage of the furniture’s sleek, modern lines, comfort, adjustability, and intentional design. Outfitting higher education classrooms with Elate furniture elevates Gen Z’s learning experience, while placing Elate in the workplace can make them feel important with a designated space, all with the goal of uniqueness, functionality, and encouraging innovation. Just as our Thrive line grows with the user, our Elate line can help higher education students make the transition from college to the workplace with ease. The main priority of the Elate line is to equip Gen Z students and those in the workforce with the tools they need to thrive.  

Career and Technical Education (CTE) is not a new concept, but it has yet to be widely explored in all career fields and realms. The process of experiential learning, or learning by doing, is prevalent in medical programs, artistic endeavors, and internships, to name a few, better equipping Gen Z students to embark on the career path they are seeking. MooreCo is ready to prioritize CTE and design spaces that are well-equipped for experiential learning. When CTE environments are designed with Compass Makerspace Tables and Compass Cabinets at the helm, Gen Z students have ample room to keep all necessary tools nearby as they explore group and individual projects. Compass Cabinets and Makerspace Tables inspire Gen Z students to think bigger, get their hands dirty, and create something new.  

Akt by MooreCo is a family of tables, chairs and soft seating designed for Gen Z. We designed Akt with intention of creating pieces that are active, kinetic, and tectonic, key ingredients that Gen Z needs in order to thrive. Akt was designed to morph, reinvent, and transform itself allowing users to feel they are in control while they move in, through and with the space they are in. Conceived under our Thrive philosophy, which focuses on the six key facets of human development from adolescence and into the workforce, the Akt collection puts the spotlight on soft seating and surfaces that are active, kinetic, and tectonic.

Akt: Active. Kinetic. Tectonic

During our Thrive Webinar, we had the chance to speak with Dr. Lisa Harris of Healthworks Ergonomics, who taught us the importance of sensory and physical experiences that Gen Z has in the classroom and the workspace. “People are more often now considering sensory needs to be just as important as physical needs,” Dr. Harris said. “There is a lot that goes into creating an environment that brings out a physical response in your body.” The Akt family of furniture is specifically designed in response to physical and sensory needs that Gen Z is experiencing. Akt Tables reduce contact stress, Akt Chairs promote good posture, and Akt Lounge seating guarantees a cleaner environment, all with the goal of creating sensory-friendly environments that also support physical wellness for Gen Z as they further their education and enter the workforce. 

Gen Z is already famous for doing things differently. At school, empathy is popular. As they enter the workforce, they put a higher emphasis on people than profits. They form tighter and more diverse communities than ever before, primarily because their generation is the most diverse than previous ones. Workplaces and schools should also emphasize diversity, equity, and inclusion in order to appeal to Gen Z. In the wake of a global pandemic and the reality of school shootings, Gen Z is very focused on their physical and mental wellbeing. Enter Akt: a family of furniture designed in response to these needs and takes into account Gen Z’s call to action. The Akt collection was created to facilitate change, support diverse communities, and can be configured to build collaborative workspaces where Gen Z feels mentally and physically safe.  

Generation Z is emerging from a pandemic that occurred during their most formative years. Many Gen Z students were unable to attend their high school or college graduations, forced into remote education at a time when their learning journey was most essential. The result is a mixture of physical and mental health awareness, an emphasis on community, and a generation that deeply cares about the future of our world. Our Akt line of tables, chairs, and soft seating was designed intentionally to support these priorities. Gen Z expects sanitation and cleanliness post pandemic, so with this in mind, our soft seating was designed with added spacers on the seats and raised legs to make it all easy to clean. They prioritize collaboration and flexibility, which is why Akt tables were made in multiple heights with broad spaces and are easy to move. The chairs stack to easily configure and reconfigure a space with the speed that Gen Zers are used to. Whether in the classroom, the workspace, or beyond, the Akt line was designed to create active, kinetic, and tectonic spaces where Gen Z is encouraged to thrive.