WiA Inspires the Next Generation
On Saturday, March 11, a group of our WiA members volunteered at the Dallas WEST: Women in Engineering, Science, & Technology event for girls in grades 6 through 12. We led four different activities throughout the day that introduced these young ladies to architecture and design. The activities we led introduced them to architectural projects and imagery, the art of sketching, the concept of planning a neighborhood, the ability to design their own house, and the endless career options available in our field. This event truly inspired these young women to reach for the stars and we were so happy to be a part of it.
Here are some stories from our WiA Members that volunteered that day:
"As much as we mentored these young ladies to find their passion and career options, they have touched my heart with their curiosity and energy towards all the STEM subjects. This is one of my favorite events in WiA as we are representing our industry and providing role models to these young ladies whom might or might not have the resources to learn about architecture from the very beginning. One great pep talk will truly open the door to the subject of architecture. At the wrap up session, these young ladies talked about sketching and the need for design. The organizer reflected that WiA has planted seeds to the value of design and architecture."
-Vince Tam, HKS
"Through the partnership between AIA Dallas Women in Architecture and Dallas WEST: Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology, we spent the afternoon mentoring young girls to the profession of architecture. Our goal for the afternoon was to allow these young women to explore the possibility of pursuing architecture as a career. Our presentation consisted of reasons why architecture is a great path to take within the STEM fields. In order to relate to the girls on a more personal level, we interjected stories of our own journeys and reasons for choosing architecture. We shared examples of our school experiences, life in the workforce and the different obstacles we have faced in the industry. Following the presentation, we demonstrated the steps in drawing a one-point perspective and stressed the importance of sketching/drawing.
Overall, the event was a true success. Seeing their reactions to our presentation and being able to relate to them with our stories let us know that we had an impact on them in one way or another. One young lady expressed how she “didn’t know that architecture was like this” and was extremely enthused about learning more. The girls had questions about the industry as well as questions about our journeys in college and any fears we had throughout entire process. Their curiosity by the end of the sessions assured us that we inspired them to a brighter future."
-Margarita Aguirre, HKS
We hope these stories and images inspire you as much as these girls inspired us. THANK YOU to all of the wonderful WiA members that volunteered their time to share their passions with the next generation!
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