Dive Brief:

• The University of Idaho has plans for a new basketball arena, and they intend to build the facility out of wood, partnering with businesses in the state’s timber industry, The Spokesman-Review reports.
• A $30 million fundraising drive for the new facility is nearly complete. Mass timber construction is still gaining prominence in the U.S., but a previous nursery on the campus was built out of wood, winning awards for sustainability. The new arena will include a 4,500-4,700-seat performance court, a practice gym, as well as coaches’ offices and convention space.
• The new arena comes as the university is undergoing a transition that will end with a return to the Big Sky Conference for football in 2018 after 20 years as a school in the NCAA Football Bowl Series. The school hopes the revenue generated by the arena can offset an expected $1 million loss due to the change.

Dive Insight:

The partnership with Idaho’s timber industry illustrates the partnerships that are possible between a state’s employers and public colleges and universities which could help develop into opportunities for students — who comprise the state’s future workforce). A report recently released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation said students can benefit when industry and institutions partner to focus on student’s return on investment by integrating practical skills into traditional curricula.

Many schools, including a Grand Rapids middle school housed in a museum, utilize “place-based learning” by finding ways to enhance a student’s experiential learning by using what may be already available in the community. An opportunity like a basketball arena can bring in revenue that the school may require, but it can also being a foundation on which to build experiential learning partnerships with outside employers. It can also help schools focus new initiatives in CTE and apprenticeship programs, which often enjoy bipartisan support from lawmakers and have seen an increased national profile due to the new presidential administration’s support for such initiatives.