In 1997, AIA Wyoming established the Architectural Education Foundation of AIA Wyoming (AEF-AIAWy) to help Wyoming students obtain an architectural education at National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredited architecture schools. The AEF-AIAWy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and is administered by the Board of Directors, volunteer members of AIA Wyoming. Multiple scholarships are typically awarded each year to deserving Wyoming residents or Wyoming high school graduates.

The original funds for the scholarship were a gift of $3,000 from the Colorado Producers Council to AIA Wyoming in the late 1980s. During the 1990s, AIA Wyoming started distributing a portion of excess funds from the previous year’s budget to the AEF-AIAWy scholarship fund. Since then, the AEF-AIAWy has asked AIA Wyoming members for their firms to make a yearly donation pledge. AEF-AIAWy also solicits gifts from allied professionals, Wyoming philanthropic organizations and individuals and holds periodic fundraising events. The AEF-AIAWy has been able to grow the corpus of the scholarship funds to a level where we can sustain the scholarship awards from yearly earnings.

In 2017, AEF changed the scholarship eligibility requirements to assist more potential future architects. All applicants must still be a graduate of a Wyoming high school, have graduated (or anticipate graduating in the year of application) from the University of Wyoming, or be a current Wyoming resident. Scholarship awards are now tiered to match a student’s progress toward an accredited degree in architecture. First-year college students must have an anticipated college path leading to a degree in architecture and are eligible for a $500 scholarship from AEF. Sophomores must be accepted by or enrolled in an accredited school of architecture pre-professional program. Sophomores are eligible for a $750 scholarship. College juniors through Master of Architecture graduate students must be enrolled in a NAAB-accredited school of architecture in a professional program that leads to either a Bachelor or Master of Architecture degree. Juniors are eligible for $1,000, seniors are eligible for $1,250, and fifth-year and graduate students are eligible for $1,500. The listed amounts are minimums, and the Scholarship Committee may award higher amounts. There is an additional financial incentive for students to work for a Wyoming resident architect for at least eight weeks.

Occasionally the AEF hosts fundraising events. However, that didn’t happen this year. We do anticipate another golf tournament and other events in 2023.

AEF of AIA Wyoming is pleased to announce a total awarded amount of $11,000 in scholarships this year! Congratulations to the 2022-2023 scholarship recipients:

• Tessa Coughenour from Casper, attending Montana State University, $6,000
• Ben Stalker from Sheridan, attending the University of Oregon, $5,000

For more information about the Architectural Education Foundation, view the web page at www.aia-wyoming.org/page/50 or the AEF Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AEF.AIA.WYO, or contact any of the Board members.