Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

New Report Details AIA Learning by Design Programs in K-8 Classrooms

  • 01/24/19

Washington, D.C. –  A new report from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) details how educational architecture programs are reaching underrepresented students in K-8 classrooms.

AIA’s K-8 Learning by Design Chapter Grants—funded by Armstrong World Industries Foundation—seeks to introduce the architecture profession among underrepresented students in K-8 classrooms. From 2017-2018, the programs funded architectural educational programs in 18 communities, including those that are underserved. Each program—created by AIA chapters—engages students and their families through hands-on architecture experiences. As part of this, chapters develop curricula focused on architecture and design, train educators in design thinking and enlist architects to educate students in classrooms.

“This program nurtures a diverse pipeline for the next generation of architects, which is critical to the future of our profession,” said AIA 2019 President William Bates, FAIA. “More and more, clients are seeking architects that understand their communities and who can provide innovative solutions to their challenges. Creating a more diverse and equitable profession is a key component to delivering on those expectations.”

Between 2017-2018, the program reached more than 9,000 K-8 students. This included a high percentage—nearly 49 percent—of female students, which is above the average percentage for a STEM-related outreach program.

Over the course of the two-year partnership with Armstrong World Industries Foundation, AIA was able to build on its success in 2017 by adding seven new chapters in 2018. Participating chapters included AIA Chicago, AIA Detroit, AIA Albuquerque, AIA Baton Rouge, AIA Spokane, AIA Seattle, Boston Society of Architects, AIA Florida, AIA Birmingham/N. Alabama/Mobile (collaborative), AIA Buffalo/Western New York (collaborative), AIA Baltimore, AIA Columbus, AIA Atlanta, AIA New York, AIA Kansas City, AIA Triangle (NC), AIA Washington, D.C. and AIA Houston. Each chapter received up to $5,000 to fund its program.  

AIA expects to continue chapter grant projects in 2019 and to create baseline metrics to understand the impact of the programs in the future. Learn more about AIA’s K-12 initiative online.

 

Featured

  • Houston K–12 District Opens New Elementary School

    The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District (Lamar CISD) recently announced the completion of a new elementary school in a western suburb of Houston, Texas, according to a news release. Haygood Elementary School measures in at 110,000 square feet, has the capacity for 854 students, and is the first of three new schools scheduled to be built in the Cross Creek West community.

  • Massachusetts K–12 District Selects Architect for New Junior High

    Swansea Public Schools in Swansea, Mass., recently announced that it has selected Finegold Alexander Architects to design a new junior high school for the district, according to a news release. The firm will create the Feasibility Study and Schematic Design for Joseph Case Junior High School after a lengthy selection process by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

  • California K–12 District Completes Elementary School Campus Replacement

    The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) in Richmond, Calif., recently announced the completion of a replacement campus for Lake Elementary School, according to a news release. The school has capacity for 470 students between Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and sixth grade.

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).