Leave Your Assumptions at the Door — A Unique Learning Center Designed for Those Who Learn Differently

written by Liza Bennigson, Associate Director of Marketing and Communications

When creative ad agency, Gershoni Creative was hired to design the space for the Schwab Learning Center at CHC (SLC@CHC), the project scope went far beyond an art installation. The goal was “to create a highly visual, immersive experience…that welcomes students and encourages thinking beyond the norm.”

Designing a Space to Foster a Sense of Community and Maximize Potential

In other words, the design of the space was intentionally developed to reflect the tenets of the SLC@CHC itself: a place where high school and college students with diagnosed or suspected ADHD, dyslexia and other learning disabilities can come to optimize performance, develop a sense of community, and discover their gifts, strengths and potential.

A tall order, you might think? Not for Creative Director Gil Gershoni, a dyslexic artist and entrepreneur dedicated to changing the narrative from focusing on the things people with dyslexia can’t do to the many things they can. His team set out to create an environment that was more like an innovation lab than a typical learning center. “Inspirational sentiments and dynamic, forward-thinking graphics get students prepared, not just to learn but also to reframe their way of thinking about themselves and their future,” says Gershoni.

SLC@CHC Transforms the Learning Experience for Students

Through one-hour weekly sessions, SLC@CHC Learning Specialists transform the learning experience by helping students build on their person strengths. They create and practice new, efficient ways of approaching work, particularly in the areas of reading, test taking, focus, planning, organization, and self-regulation. And they develop self-advocacy skills to further accentuate each student’s innate talent and intellectual prowess. “Our goal is to empower all types of learners to adopt tools and strategies to leverage their learning differences, rather than looking at them as something to overcome,” says Nicole Ofiesh, PhD, Director of SLC@CHC. “We needed a physical space that encourages boundaries to be broken.”

A Flexible Environment to Accommodate Differing Learning Styles

Gershoni’s agency was the perfect fit. He has built a business out of applying the dyslexic mindset to creative problem-solving. Because dyslexics don’t see things strung together in a linear way, they have the ability to see through things, above things, below things, all at the same time. Once they accept that letters are negotiable, it unveils a world of imagination. By designing a flexible, multipurpose environment that supports a variety of ways for students to interact with their surroundings, Gershoni’s team was able to bring the SLC@CHC team’s vision to life.

The space, which has designated zones to accommodate different learning types and styles, took 6-8 months to develop. Every decision was deliberate and intentional. Their mantra, much like SLC@CHC’s, was, “Don’t wait for perfection.”

Gershoni often shares stories of successful dyslexics—inventors, entrepreneurs, pro athletes, rocket scientists and global economists—to inspire others to leave their inhibitions, preconceived notions and assumptions at the door and soar. This opportunity to change a student’s perspective presents a moment of transformation. A moment of being seen, of being heard. A moment of breakthrough. SLC@CHC’s more human, less clinical approach fosters joy and multi-dimensional thinking. And now they have a home that exemplifies that. “When you can fly,” says Gershoni, “all of a sudden reading is not such a big deal.”

Learn more about Schwab Learning Center at CHC, and sign up today for support online or at CHC Palo Alto.