Big Idea: Diversity in Architecture & Design: Season 1 Episode 13
Dawn and Katie discuss diversity and opportunity for careers in design.
Dawn, when a high-school senior
Katie, when an eighth or ninth grader
Today, the demand for acceptance, empathy, and equality are paramount. In this episode, Dawn and Katie broach the subject of diversity and inclusion in their respective design fields, focusing on how to introduce careers in design to diverse groups of young people.
As women working in design, Dawn and Katie speak specifically about their experiences entering the textile and architecture professions (respectively) and the road traveled in their careers. They were both fortunate enough to be introduced to the idea of becoming a designer and/or architect fairly early on, but both appreciate that a larger, broader, more diverse group of young people need to be given the opportunity to enter the design field. It should be easier for all different types of people to discover careers in design and to pursue the design field of their choosing. We can all benefit from the unique contributions of a diverse group of designers and architects.
Top, UMass, Dartmouth, where Dawn studied design (photo courtesy of F*** Yeah Brutalism Tumblr). The campus at UMass, Dartmouth was designed by Paul Rudolph. Bottom, The Bayard Ewing Building (BEB) at RISD, where Katie studied architecture (photo courtesy of the RISD archive). The BEB was originally constructed in 1848 to serve the Fall River Iron Works as an office and warehouse building along the waterfront in Providence.
Dawn recalls researching The Met School when her sons were about to enter high school. She cites it as a model program that can introduce a diverse group of high-schoolers to greater opportunity. According to their website, “The Met is more than the six schools in Rhode Island; it is the flagship school of Big Picture Learning, a model for 100 schools across the country and around the world. It is a leader in school reform and is consistently identified by a sweeping range of education leaders as one of the most effective models in the country.” A state-funded public high school, “The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center offers a unique and innovative career and technical program to all high school aged children in Rhode Island.” President Barack Obama gave the The Met a shoutout in 2010, saying, “We’ll follow the example of places like the Met Center, in Rhode Island, that give students that individual attention, while also preparing them, through real-world, hands-on training, the possibility of succeeding in a career.”
Katie references an impressive after-school program, the ACE Mentor Program which focuses on introducing high-schoolers to the fields of Architecture, Construction, and Engineering. Their website states, “ACE is a federation of more than 70 affiliates (chapters), operating in 37 states and largely based in metropolitan areas, which deliver the program. A national office coordinates and assists affiliates.” Further, “Over 10,000 students participate annually, drawn from approximately 1,100 high schools.” The ACE website notes:
The majority of ACE students (69%) are minority, and one-third female.
One-quarter of ACE seniors entering college are first generation students.
More than 4,100 volunteer industry professionals mentor student teams through a 35-hour-long simulation of designing and constructing a project.
Approximately $2.5 million in scholarships are awarded annually to high school seniors and alumni studying to pursue industry-related careers.
ACE also offers students summer camp and internship opportunities.
Dawn and Katie encourage high-school students of all backgrounds to consider design careers where they can positively impact the lives of others, becoming *conscientious creatives. Both traditional and non-traditional high schools offer access and support. If you have a passion for art and design, talk to your high-school guidance counselor about possible career paths; do some on-line research for scholarships or mentorship programs. Hard work, curiosity, and determination are three of the best skills a designer can have. Persist!
For further reading:
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Diversity and Design: How We Can Shape a More Inclusive Industry
