KI Awards $40,000 of Furniture to Winning Teachers in Classroom Furniture Giveaway

March 10, 2023

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- KI is thrilled to announce the three winners of its inaugural classroom furniture giveaway for K-12 teachers. After nearly 20,000 votes narrowed down the pool of nine finalists, three lucky teachers will get to see their designs come to life with KI furniture of their choosing.

The giveaway winners are Dylan Zuccarello of Lawton Chiles Elementary School in Tampa, Florida; Hattie Llewellyn of New Berlin High School in New Berlin, Illinois; and Marisa Rinkel of Norco Elementary School in Norco, California.

"We extend our warmest congratulations to Hattie, Marisa and Dylan," said Bryan Ballegeer, vice president of education markets at KI. "Each of these educators put their students' safety, agency, confidence and comfort at the forefront of their designs. At KI, we care deeply at improving the outcomes of students which is why we're excited to support these teachers by bringing their visions to reality."

Entrants in the giveaway used KI's Classroom Planner tool to design their ideal learning space:

For his 5th grade math and science classroom, Mr. Zuccarello created a space where students can come to class excited to learn and collaborate with one another. He employed an open layout and flexible seating to prioritize student comfort and social interaction.

For her high school special education classroom, Mrs. Llewellyn designed a space to support students with diverse cognitive and physical abilities through instruction, group activities and life skills training. Adaptability and variety were priorities for the space to adjust to students' physical, mental and emotional needs.

For her 4th grade gifted and talented classroom, Mrs. Rinkel planned a space to spark a passion for learning in students while allowing them to move around safely. Equipped with multicolored, mobile furniture solutions, her classroom balances creativity with safety and function.

Six runners-up will receive their choice of ten Imaginasium blips or twenty Ruckus whiteboards. The winners' installations will occur in the coming weeks.

About KI

KI manufactures innovative furniture and architectural wall system solutions for education, healthcare, government and corporate markets. The employee-owned company is headquartered in Green Bay, Wis. and operates sales offices and manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada, Latin America and Europe. KI tailors products and service solutions to the specific needs of each customer through its unique design and manufacturing philosophy. For more information, visit ki.com.