On Monday, Nov. 26 at 9:30 a.m., The Harley School held a groundbreaking event for Chesonis Commons, a "living building" on the Harley campus. Harley family and friends and the Rochester community are invited to attend the event.

Beginning in Beckerman Center, Valerie Myntti, interim head of school, and Peter Willsea ’72, Harley board chairman, shared details of the project. Arunas Chesonis, Harley parent and CEO/Chairman of Sweetwater Energy, attended the event and address questions. The ceremonial groundbreaking took place behind Beckerman Center.

The Commons will be a building like no other and the first K-12 education space in the country to include multiple dimensions of education for a sustainable future. It will house The Briggs Center for Civic Engagement, the Center for Mindfulness and Empathy Education, a science center, and a project space. Operation of the systems of The Commons will be a part of a social curriculum where students work to achieve a net-zero balance in resource consumption.

Chesonis Commons will be open for classes fall 2013.

> Photo Gallery of Chesonis Commons
> See Photos of the event on Facebook
> Chesonis Commons Web site