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Architecture In Schools
Architecture in Schools Program
Click here for the Architecture in
Schools Web Site
The Architecture In Schools (AIS) program was founded by the Architectural
Institute of BC (AIBC) in 1994. This initiative, developed in the public
interest but focussed on K-12 educators and students, promotes the study
and understanding of architecture and the built environment as an art,
a science, and as a manifestation of social values and ideals.
Program Goals:
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To promote a greater awareness and understanding in
the minds of young people of architecture, and human relationships with
the built
environment,
the natural world, and with each other.
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To enrich the BC K-12 curriculum
by providing learning tools, materials, and activities for educators
and students.
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To engage and challenge young minds with cross-disciplinary
topics relevant to their everyday surroundings.
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To encourage the involvement,
creativity, and innovation of youth in the future of their community.
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To invite dialogue with the public at large on issues related to
the architectural profession.
Why?
The study of architecture, the built environment, and the processes
that shape them cultivates many valuable skills in young people.
Observation and listening,
communication and co-operation through design process, negotiation
and decision-making, as well as creative problem-solving are
just a few
of them. Developing these
skills enables youth to better understand the society and culture
they live in, and helps them to envision their present and future
role
within those
spheres. They are more prepared to positively shape our communities,
no matter what role they may play in the future. As well, this
study can enrich their
overall educational experience by introducing practical, real-life
applications to their classroom explorations.
How?
AIBC architects, interns, students, and associated professionals,
work in partnership with BC school districts, schools, and teachers
to develop
and
implement
meaningful classroom activities and educational events. Projects
may be created to enrich science, math, art, and social studies,
or may
be interdisciplinary
in nature. The program is designed to blend smoothly with existing
provincial curricula.
Activities and materials include, but are not limited to:
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Architecture For Kids – A hands-on classroom planning and
activity resource for
K-7 teachers. This book is currently being updated and enriched
with more lesson plans and ideas.
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Architectural Resources – Visit
our web site, www.aibc.ca, for useful resources and information,
relevant links, and news briefs on
current outreach activities.
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Career Days – Volunteers are available
(on a pre-arranged basis) to speak with students about the architectural
profession as a career.
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Special Projects – On request, volunteers
are often available to collaborate with educators on special learning
activities for their
students (walking tours, office visits, student design/build challenges,
etc.) Suggestions are more than welcome.
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Design And The Built Environment – A complementary resource
to “Architecture for Kids”, intended for use at the secondary
level, is currently being revised.
For further information on these activities
and resources, please contact the AIBC Architects in Schools/Architecture
for Kids Program Coordinator:
Coordinator, Discovering Architecture (In School) Program
Email: ais@aibc.ca
Phone: 604.683.8588 ext. 317
The Architectural Institute of British Columbia is a self-governing
body dedicated to excellence in the profession of architecture for the
benefit of its membership, the environment, and society.
Architecture In Schools program: History
Architecture In Schools (AIS) is a not-for-profit public outreach program
of the Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC), that was formalized
in 1994 to promote the study of architecture at all levels in the BC
school system. The program is founded on the belief that the study of
the built environment is fundamental to good citizenship. To this end,
the program focuses on the art, science and culture of architecture,
and the importance of the built environment as a manifestation of societal
aspirations and values.
In the first few years of its existence, the activities
of the Architecture In Schools program were characteristically informal,
with individual
architects involved one on one with teachers in a wide range of classroom
activities. In 1997, with the help of a grant from the Vancouver Foundation, "Architecture
for Kids," (AFK) was created as a resource handbook for elementary
teachers. The Architecture For Kids handbook draws on the experience
of more than 100 architect-teacher partnerships. It forms the basis of
a formal workshop program that introduces teachers to basic architectural
concepts and links to the elementary curriculum in areas such as Visual
Arts, Science, Math and Social Studies. To date, more than 600 teachers
have attended workshops and, through them, more than 15 000 students
from Victoria to Port Hardy and from Coquitlam to the Kootenays have
been introduced to architecture and the study of our built environment.
The success of Architecture For Kids workshops helped the AIS program
win an Award of Merit for Innovation from the AIBC Awards Program.
In
addition to ongoing Architecture For Kids workshops throughout the province,
the AIS program has drafted a secondary school resource guide, "Experiencing
Architecture: Design + the Built Environment." The guide is designed
as the basis of a credit course in both Fine Arts and Applied Skills.
This new guide has undergone preliminary field testing, and is being
further refined with the aim being to publish it for use in the BC curriculum
in the near future.
Members continue to be involved informally and in
a series of special projects. Special events have included "Made for Shade", “The
Green Building Challenge”, and the “Architecture, Kids and
Community” festival. In “Made for Shade”, which was
arranged in partnership with the Canadian Dermatology Association, students
designed shade structures for their playgrounds, parks and beaches. "The
Green Building Challenge," organized in co-operation with the AIBC
Energy and Environment Committee, was a competition in which Lower Mainland
elementary and secondary students were asked to present ideas for reducing
the environmental impact and energy consumption of buildings. The results
were put on display at a Green Buildings Conference in Vancouver. "Architecture,
Kids and Community" was a three-week long festival held in New Westminster.
Local elementary schools were presented with a bridge building challenge,
and with the assistance of local architects, they built replicas of the
Lions Gate Bridge and the SkyTrain Bridge.
Architects In Schools has recently
introduced the “Architecture
Is Everywhere” walking tours. The flexible nature of these tours
allows them to be tailored to specific interests and locations to best
suit classroom needs. They offer a lively and engaging way for classrooms
to focus on the origins, form and effects of urban environments.
We invite your inquiries and comments relating to the Architecture In
Schools program. The program coordinator may be contacted at the AIBC,
by telephoning 604-683-8588 ext.317, or by e-mailing ais@aibc.ca.
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Institute of British Columbia
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