The Designery

The program targets high school age youth 14-19 years of age. The objectives of the program are: 1) To expand young people’s vision of what they can achieve professionally, through an exploration of fields in the building industry including Architecture, Construction Management, and Landscape Design; 2) To expand young people’s vision of their community and the positive affect that they can have on it; 3) To provide life skills that will prepare them for success as an adult through developing their leadership ability, financial literacy, teamwork, and self confidence. The program will provide a fun and supportive environment to help young people develop the goals, motivation, confidence, and skills they will need to graduate from high school and prepare for the world beyond school.

The Designery expands the educational opportunities available to youths through in-depth, real-world, team based study of architecture, construction management, and landscape design. The program includes youth that, due to their environment, have few career exploration opportunities and few or no mentor type relationships.

Expanding Vision:

1. Career Exploration – We will engage program participants to careers in the building industry to which they are not traditionally exposed. While exploring Architecture, Construction Management, and Landscape Design, students can try out their woodworking skills in our vocational education center, learn to draft their project design using AutoCAD in our computer lab. Students see firsthand the many facets of the building industry by visiting one of our many partners (architects, engineers, construction, and property management firms). Students will also learn about what local colleges and apprentice programs can offer to help them toward a career path of choice.
   
2. Community Service - Each field of career exploration will include finding, planning and executing a service project that will benefit the community or a community organization. These activities allow participants to interact as part of a team while developing their leadership skills as each is responsible for a phase of the project. It also allows young people to commit time and service to an agency that is in need of support to increase its capacity. These projects will range from constructing handicap access ramps to creating community gardens and green spaces.
   
3. Financial Literacy Education – Young people will be exposed to financial concepts and practices centered on managing their project budgets. During the introduction period, students learn to estimate budget allocations for an Olympic site, and then learn to develop a budget for their own imaginary project. For each project the crew will create a budget, implement it, and be responsible for maintaining it.

Developing Skills:

1. Self development activities - YouthBuild positive social skills though participation in various group activities (i.e., social life skills workshop, financial literacy, Time/life management, public speaking).
   
2. Academic study - Supported by college student and volunteer participants will be tutored on a regular basis. Besides traditional tutoring support, we will utilize the JFY Networks MCAS computerized curriculum. This curriculum allows students to work at their own pace to build competencies required in the standardized testing.

Providing Experience:

Participants develop life skills through work as a team to plan and complete major design and construction projects. Through research and in numerous professional networks and organizations they develop skills that will help them succeed in high school and beyond. The students learn in-depth about these fields through field trips to job sites, professional firms, and relevant locations around Boston. Participants are highly engaged in the learning process because they have a personal stake in the project’s success or failure and are professionally accountable to their community client.