Toni Puro of New Lenox, IL and Classmates Create Interior Design for Bolingbrook School

2011 Dec 21

Toni Puro of New Lenox, IL was among the Advanced Design students at Lewis University that recently created an interior design plan for the Brooks Elementary School in Bolingbrook. The Brooks School is a new facility that houses the Secondary Transition Experience Program (STEP), a program that provides resources and post-secondary employment training for students with disabilities.

The Lewis students worked with Valley View School District students and Michelle Bochnak, community outreach coordinator, and Erica Ekstrom, student services administrator for STEP. The Lewis students toured Brooks School, interviewed faculty and staff, and designed wall decorations for hallways and classrooms. The semester long project culminated in Lewis and STEP students, together, creating a large abstract painting for a classroom.

"This project was a great opportunity for our students to step out of the classroom and to apply their design skills to a real-world situation. It was a great success to involve the STEP students in the actual making of the artwork for their school," commented Leslie Colonna, instructor in the Lewis University Department of Art and Design.

Students in the Advanced Design class are: David Bain of Indianapolis, Ind., Jillian Carlberg of Appleton, Wis., Jude Logarta of Orland Park, Ill., Ashley Martin of Chicago, Ill., Sean O'Halleran of McHenry, Ill., and Toni Puro of New Lenox, Ill.

The interior design project was part of Lewis University's service learning partnership with Valley View School District. The Office of Service Learning at Lewis University builds associations with local and global communities through service as well as expands students' learning to include rich experiences and knowledge better attained by service in and with the community. More information about partnering with Lewis University on a service learning project is available by contacting Dr. Christie Billups, coordinator of Service Learning, at billupch@lewisu.edu or 815-836-5829.

Lewis University is a Catholic university offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 6,500 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares ethically grounded, globally aware, and socially responsible graduates. The ninth largest private not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit http://www.lewisu.edu for further information.