Lebanon, OH — Ghent, a leading U.S. manufacturer of visual communication solutions, is proud to be a founding member of Design Stage, reinforcing the company’s long-standing commitment to advancing design education, industry collaboration, and research-driven professional development for the architecture and design community.

The partnership aligns with Ghent’s philosophy of helping professionals communicate, collaborate, and learn—not only through products, but through meaningful industry engagement. As part of this initiative, Ghent helped launch an IDCEC-accredited continuing education course (CEU) focused on outdoor learning environments and their impact on student performance and wellbeing.

For several years, Ghent has explored how collaboration extends beyond traditional interior spaces, including research into “fourth space” thinking and the integration of outdoor environments designed to support engagement, health, and performance. The new course, “Beyond the Classroom: How Outdoor Learning Spaces Help Improve Student Performance & Wellbeing,” examines research on the connection of cognition and wellness while helping designers understand the risks of excluding exterior learning environments from project planning.

Design Stage offers a modern approach to continuing education, providing a platform built specifically for commercial A&D professionals. By filming, hosting, and promoting IDCEC-accredited content, the platform is designed to keep professionals engaged while simplifying credit completion through on-demand access and streamlined course experiences.

Becoming a founding member reflects Ghent’s belief that continuing education should deliver actionable insights that strengthen project outcomes—not simply satisfy requirements. The partnership represents a long-term investment in elevating how educational content is delivered across the industry.

For designers working on education projects, wellness-centered environments, or outdoor collaboration initiatives, this course provides a framework for using research-backed decisions for planning your outdoor space.

Beyond the Classroom is now available on Design Stage at designstage.com/courses/beyond-the-classroom.