Teachers Village; More than Cool Buildings, A Community

204 units, 350 residents, 4 schools, 1,000 students and 69,000 square feet of retail space on approximately 3 acres; those are some of the numbers behind the Teachers Village in Newark, New Jersey. The Teachers Village is more than numbers. It is a community with management that consciously brings its residents and members together through various learning and fun activities. In short, it is a learning community.

And like a traditional small town, the Teachers Village has a mix of businesses, such as banking, convenience store, cross-fit (soon) and, even a cupcake store (very tasty treats). It is walkable and, thanks to a free shuttle, it is possible to for residents to free themselves of car-ownership and its associated costs.

It is the addition of learning spaces – the InQbator and the Q that provide an additional dimension. The InQbator is a grass-roots shared work space where teachers can experiment with lesson plans and ideas and even broadcast them to the world via podcasts. The Q learning center will provide life-long and credentialed learning.

But the Teachers Village is not just for teachers. One of the most convincing testimonials was one from one of the property managers who lives at the Teachers’ Village with her grade and high school-age daughters. It was obvious from the joy in her voice, that the Teachers Village isn’t just a collection of buildings but is home to her and her neighbors.