Kim Knowles
AFO Associate Director
Architects in Schools Program

One of my favorite memories is of a young girl enthusiastically explaining to her friends and family the design decisions she made for her butterfly client’s structure, which was being publicly exhibited for the Architects in Schools Program (AiS). From a school in rural Clackamas county, she showed in that moment the spark that can happen in the Architecture Foundation of Oregon’s AiS Program when architects share their expertise. Often, participants in the program are children who have not yet realized that they too can think like architects…that they too can make an impact on the lives of people around them by being creative problem solvers.

Some of you reading this piece already know this magic. For those of you who haven’t yet experienced it, I am the director of the Architects in Schools (AiS) Program for AFO. Every school year, we receive requests from hundreds of teachers across the state of Oregon to introduce the power of design to their students.

AiS is about connecting what children learn in school to design in their daily lives, showing they have the ability to be creative and simultaneously think about what is best for people in their communities – now and into the future. In a recent impact study, we found that design education increases school engagement and growth mindset. It is especially impactful in supporting low-income students and non-traditional learners.

The program doesn’t just benefit the students who participate, however. It offers architects an opportunity to engage with students, share their passion for design, and look at their profession through a new lens. Participating architects serve as positive role models and represent increased diversity within the industry. "I find it so rewarding to connect with students and hear their thoughts on architecture. It's energizing and humbling to get to see my profession through their eyes," says architect Sina Meier. "I don't think of myself as an expert going into the classroom. It's really a mutual journey of discovery as we all learn from and with each other."

In the Architects in Schools program, architects and other design professionals volunteer to present between one to six sessions of design thinking concepts to an elementary or middle school class. They are paired with teachers, led through training and supported in choosing lessons to present from AFO’s curriculum guide. Students are encouraged to consider questions such as "What makes structures stand up?" "What will cities look like 25 years from now?" and "What makes a building sustainable?" AFO’s intention is to expose Oregon school students to growth mindset concepts, the design process and its intersection with their daily lives; to place architects in the classroom, providing career awareness in creative fields; to give teachers a curriculum guide helping them meet education standards through design education and visual arts; and to provide this all free of charge to the schools so it is available to as many students as possible. Teachers report that students’ favorite time of the school day is when architects come to visit. As one participating teacher from Southern Oregon said:

"It's really exciting for them to think about themselves in that role because they are introduced to someone who is in that profession.
These are new ideas for a lot of these children, so to get them thinking about it at a young age helps them know that doors can be open to them as they grow and they can think about the possibility of going to college in order to follow that path. The earlier they start thinking about that the better it is for them to find those tools and have those opportunities.

I encourage you to be a part of Architects in Schools this coming year introducing school students to the power and possibilities of design. Your participation will create lifelong learners and critical thinkers who have a greater understanding of their environment and its impact on people’s lives.

Learn more and apply to participate today: bit.ly/ais_programinfo or contact me with any questions.