Gary Bloemker, a fifth grade teacher at Central Elementary School in Brush, has worked on programs that focus on classroom design throughout Northeastern Colorado. The overall project is known as, "Classroom Design: Creating Innovative Classroom Environments," and it has produced such classrooms as the Solar Heated Liveroom and the Circular Classroom in a Box, among others. Mr. Bloemker has developed and constructed 12 such learning environments. Only some of his award-winning projects are architectural; one of his most successful creations is the Me Project, now a permanent part of the fifth grade curriculum at his school. This project asks students to construct a 21-chapter autobiography, complete with family tree and photographs. Whereas this particular project is designed to incorporate the family, other projects that he has initiated build links between students and the community and help create a unique community among students from different area schools.
1972 University of Northern Colorado, B.A.
