As the Ann Arbor Public Schools Capital Program continues its transformative work across the district, a fundamental imperative guides infrastructure planning: Designing physical spaces and technology systems that support the development of digital literacy skills that students will need in the decades ahead.
For parents and teachers of today’s school children, many of whom were born or grew up in the 1980s and 90s, the 21st century still feels new. It can be somewhat startling to realize, therefore, that the children entering kindergarten in August 2025 will graduate from high school in 2038. By the time they enter the working world, the 21st century will be nearly half over. It is the mission of AAPS to ensure schools have prepared the graduating classes of 2038 and beyond with the skills that will be relevant for their world.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 identifies analytical thinking, creative thinking, and AI and big data literacy as top skills needed by 2027. Businesses predict that 44% of workers’ core skills will be disrupted in the next five years or less, highlighting the urgency of preparing students to engage with a rapidly evolving landscape. As educators work to guide students and support the development of digital competencies, the district needs to create physical infrastructure capable of supporting intensive digital work.
The answer lies not in predicting specific technologies, but in creating flexible, robust infrastructure that can evolve alongside rapidly changing digital demands. Through strategic capital investments in network capacity, power systems, and adaptable learning spaces, the AAPS Capital Program is creating schools that enable educators to foster critical digital competencies now and for decades to come.
Five Key Takeaways from this article on designing spaces that support digital literacy:
- Future-Focused, Flexible Infrastructure: AAPS is designing adaptable, technology-enabled spaces to meet the evolving digital needs of the coming decades.
- Strong Network and Power Systems: Investments in high-capacity networks and modern electrical systems support a 1:1 device-to-student ratio for cloud-based learning without interruption.
- Flexible, Tech-Integrated Learning Spaces: Learning suites feature distributed power, adjustable lighting, and reconfigurable furniture for varied learning modes.
- Equity and Universal Access: Upgrades follow universal design, ensuring all students have equal access to digital curriculum and resources, WiFi, charging solutions, and assistive technology supports.
- Infrastructure as a Multiplier for Learning: A seamless tech backbone expands learning opportunities and builds essential 21st-century skills.
The Physical Requirements of Digital Learning: Infrastructure
When students seamlessly connect devices to collaborate on projects, access cloud-based resources, or engage with interactive learning platforms, they’re relying on an extensive infrastructure backbone that the AAPS Capital Program has carefully designed and implemented. That ‘backbone’ goes beyond simply providing internet access—it’s about creating an environment where technology becomes an invisible, reliable tool for learning rather than a barrier or distraction.
This is in line with the vision of technology use developed by Dr. Heather Kellstrom, Executive Director of Instructional and Information Technology at Ann Arbor Public Schools. According to Dr. Kellstrom, “The best tech integration runs quietly in the background; it’s right behind the scenes to support the teaching and learning process. When we look at true tech integration, it becomes part of the learning space.”
Network Capacity: The Digital Highway
Digital literacy development in the current context places extraordinary demands on network
infrastructure. When an entire grade level simultaneously engages with cloud-based applications, streams educational content, or participates in video collaboration, the network must handle this load without interruption. Through the Capital Program, including the Bond and Sinking Funds, AAPS has worked toward upgrading the network by investing in quality switches and high-density wireless systems throughout district buildings.
As noted in research from the Public Policy Institute of California, schools need high-density wireless networks, increased bandwidth, and overall network infrastructure upgrades to be able to give students access to seamless learning technology. Schools frequently face challenges finding the funds to invest in wireless networks with the capacity to allow large groups of users to have uninterrupted access. Through the support of the community, AAPS has addressed these challenges by allocating specific funding for comprehensive network infrastructure improvements into the bond and sinking fund initiatives.
The District has been working with Registered Communications Distribution Designers (RCDDs) at the firm JDRM Engineering to design a network backbone with significant headroom for growth. As bandwidth demands increase—whether from emerging technologies or simply from growing student populations—the core infrastructure can expand without wholesale replacement. The AAPS Capital Program has invested in high-capacity cabling infrastructure that exceeds current needs, both in the renovated buildings and in the newly constructed schools which reduce the need for retrofitting power and network cables in the future.
According to Steve Wheeler, RCDD and Partner at JDRM Engineering, “Our team of RCDDs at JDRM have had the privilege to work with the District’s ITD Team over the last four years to create and implement technology system standards and practices that meet and exceed industry requirements. The goal has always been to facilitate and support the District’s technology goals for education and system infrastructure for years in the future.”
Power Infrastructure: Supporting the Device Ecosystem
In order to foster active digital citizenship and build future ready skills, AAPS has embraced best practices with the 1:1 device program, which supports dedicated learning devices for every student. This program right-sizes device access for students and, at the same time, creates substantial electrical infrastructure demands. Charging solutions must be strategically placed throughout buildings, electrical systems need sufficient capacity to support hundreds of devices charging simultaneously, and power distribution must be reliable enough to prevent disruptions to the learning environment.
The AAPS Capital Program’s bond and sinking fund investment into modern electrical systems go beyond basic power delivery. Upgrades include dedicated charging zones in learning suites, upgraded electrical panels to handle increased loads, and backup systems to ensure continuity during power fluctuations. This infrastructure investment directly enables the district’s screen readiness approach, where pre-K through 2nd graders receive touchscreen Chromebooks, 3rd-8th graders use standard Chromebooks, and high school students work with MacBook Air devices.
Electrical infrastructure uses modular designs that allow for reconfiguration as technology needs change. What serves as a charging station today might need to support entirely different technologies in five years.
Physical Space Design: Flexibility for Evolving Technology
The learning suites designed by Fielding International represent a fundamental shift in how physical spaces support digital literacy development. Unlike traditional classrooms with fixed computer labs, these flexible environments allow technology use to adapt to different learning modes—individual research, small group collaboration, or large group instruction.
These features include:
- Distributed power access points that eliminate the constraint of fixed outlet locations
- Variable lighting systems with LED fixtures that can be adjusted for screen-based work
- Acoustic treatments that manage sound in technology-rich environments
- Flexible furniture systems that accommodate different device types and learning configurations
- Environmental controls that maintain optimal conditions for both humans and technology
By integrating technological supports directly into the buildings, the Capital Program invests into the flexible design of learning suites in both new and renovated buildings.
Equity Through Infrastructure Investment
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology emphasizes that preparing students to be successful for the future requires a robust and flexible learning infrastructure capable of supporting new types of engagement and providing ubiquitous access to the technology tools. For AAPS, this principle drives design decisions that prioritize universal access over selective enhancement.
- Comprehensive WiFi coverage extending to all learning spaces, including outdoor learning areas
- Redundant network pathways to prevent single points of failure and allow future moves, adds, and changes
- Accessible height charging stations accommodating students of all abilities
- Multiple connection types supporting various assistive technologies
Every infrastructure upgrade follows universal design principles, ensuring that all students—regardless of ability, background, or location within a building—have equal access to digital resources. The district does this by prioritizing investment into infrastructure designed to accommodate every learner at all stages of their educational journey.
Supporting Continuous Evolution: Infrastructure for 2038 and Beyond
As the district continues making strategic investments through the bond and sinking fund, infrastructure planning extends well beyond current needs. Perhaps the most critical aspect of the district’s design strategy is the emphasis on adaptability. With the World Economic Forum identifying technology literacy being the third-fastest growing core skill, and AI/Big data close behind, the specific tools and platforms students use will inevitably change throughout their time in Ann Arbor Public Schools. The district is prioritizing infrastructure that will be relevant in the future, no matter what kind of technology becomes standard in the next decades.
The Multiplier Effect of Well-Designed Infrastructure
When infrastructure works seamlessly, it multiplies the impact of every other educational investment. The Future Ready Schools framework notes that high-quality, high-speed technology and infrastructure systems within and outside of a school district are essential to supporting anytime, anywhere learning. By building in robust infrastructure, AAPS extends learning opportunities, expands community partnerships that leverage school resources, and deepens family engagement through accessible digital communication platforms.
A Foundation for Digital Citizenship
While the Capital Program’s role focuses on physical infrastructure rather than instruction, these investments create the essential foundation for comprehensive digital literacy development. Reliable, equitable access to technology infrastructure enables students to develop not just technical skills, but the broader competencies identified by the World Economic Forum: analytical thinking, creative problem-solving, resilience, and lifelong learning adaptability.
Through continued strategic investment in infrastructure—from high-speed networks to flexible learning spaces—the AAPS Capital Program ensures that every student has the physical and technological foundation necessary to develop the digital literacy skills essential for success in the 21st century and beyond.
Conclusion: Investing in Future Ready, Equitable Schools
The transformation of Ann Arbor Public Schools through capital improvements represents more than building upgrades—it’s an investment in educational equity and future readiness. As the district continues implementing the Capital Program, the focus remains on creating infrastructure that serves as an invisible, reliable platform for learning. When students can seamlessly access digital resources, collaborate across distances, and engage with emerging technologies, they’re developing the competencies that will serve them throughout their educational journey and into careers that may not yet exist.
Through thoughtful planning, strategic investment, and commitment to universal access, the AAPS Capital Program is ensuring that physical spaces and technology systems never become barriers to digital literacy development, but rather serve as launching pads for 21st-century success.