Creating Dynamic Campus Learning Environments

The new Middle School currently under construction on the D-E campus represents so much more than an innovative building for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. It is just one component of The Village Project, an exciting vision for new campus buildings and green spaces. 

The Village Project is shaping our dynamic learning environments in and out of the classroom. It began with the opening of the cutting-edge Hajjar STEM Center in the fall of 2015. It continues with the construction of the new Middle School; a new auditorium currently under development; and the reconfiguring of outdoor spaces designed to support both academic learning—particularly the School’s commitment to project-based learning and process-oriented teaching—and community gatherings. 

Located on the site of the Pope Science Hall and replacing Umpleby Hall, the new Middle School will provide a multi-disciplinary mix of classrooms and is designed to accommodate the specific needs of each grade community. Groundbreaking for the facility took place in the fall of 2018, and construction is expected to conclude in 2020. 

The nearby auditorium, featuring a new performance hall, will follow the completion of the Middle School and will be on the site of the current Umpleby Hall. With a stage that can seat 80, and an audience space of 630 seats, this auditorium will be a home to the D-E music/performing arts program and provide a venue for all Middle School and Upper School assemblies and many campus activities and important community events. 

To learn more about The Village Project and to be involved in its vision and development, please contact Pat Boig, Director of Advancement, at 201-227-3108 or boigp@d-e.org.