Stacy Bourne expands Disaster Smart preparedness resources

Stacy A. Bourne, principal architect of The Bourne Group, is broadening her Disaster Smart initiative with educational tools aimed at families, schools, communities and property owners. The effort focuses on turning disaster preparedness into a daily habit as U.S. communities face rising risk and greater pressure to plan before emergencies hit.

Why it matters: - The Disaster Smart initiative is designed to help people prepare before disasters hit, with a focus on saving lives, protecting property and improving recovery. - The program targets families, schools, churches, civic groups, public facilities and property owners, widening the pool of people responsible for readiness. - The effort reflects a broader shift toward community-level resilience as local organizations take on more of the burden for preparedness and recovery.

What happened: - Stacy A. Bourne, FAIA, principal architect and founding principal of The Bourne Group, is expanding the Disaster Smart™ preparedness initiative through new educational resources. - The announcement was made June 25, 2026, from St. Louis. - Bourne drew on more than 35 years of experience and firsthand recovery from 12 hurricanes to shape the initiative. - Bourne said preparedness should become an everyday practice, not something people think about only after a disaster. - Bourne recently received the Angela O'Byrne Award from the Tulane University School of Architecture and the Built Environment and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Washington University. - Bourne was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 2012, an honor held by fewer than 3% of AIA members.

The details: - The center of the initiative is the Disaster Smart™ Coloring and Workbook Series. - Educators are reviewing the series and children are testing it during development. - The materials are designed for ages 9 and older. - The books use architecture, floor plans, activities and guided questions to get children talking with parents and caregivers about preparedness. - One example prompts children to discuss where family members would meet if separated during a disaster. - The initiative also includes disaster readiness checklists. - The Disaster Readiness Resilience Hub Blueprint is still evolving. - The blueprint encourages churches, schools, civic organizations and public facilities to serve as local preparedness and support hubs. - The Bourne Group is an award-winning architecture and urban design firm founded in 2000. - The firm focuses on disaster recovery, resilient renovations, historic preservation, community-engaged design and disaster preparedness. - The Bourne Group works with communities, institutions, universities, financial institutions, public agencies, developers and property owners. - The company says its work helps clients prepare for, respond to and recover from wind, water and other natural disasters. - The company has extensive experience in hurricane-prone regions, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Gulf Coast. - More information is available at the company's announcement.

Between the lines: - Bourne is framing preparedness as a behavioral change problem, not just a technical planning exercise. - The workbook format suggests a strategy to reach children early and turn them into catalysts for family planning. - The resilience hub concept points to a neighborhood model where trusted institutions become anchor points before and after disasters. - The messaging aligns with rising concern over more frequent and costly disasters, though the release does not cite specific event data.

What's next: - The educational materials will continue moving through review and testing before wider use. - The resilience hub blueprint appears to be developing into a broader community framework for churches, schools and other institutions. - Bourne's push suggests more preparedness tools may be added as the Disaster Smart initiative grows.

The bottom line: - Bourne is trying to make disaster preparedness practical, teachable and local, with tools aimed at families and institutions before the next emergency arrives.