The Education and Resource Committee’s primary goal is to promote architecture to the public and provide educational resources for AIA Wyoming members to use when engaging with students and clients across the state.

Before the pandemic, the committee’s focus was to get into elementary schools (primarily 4th graders) and teach kids what architects do. Coming out of the pandemic, the committee was fortunate to gain several new committee members. With those new members came new passions and a new focus for the committee as a whole.

While not the primary focus, the committee hopes to renew connecting with students and teachers in cities across Wyoming. There will be continued efforts to reach high school students and improve outreach developments to a higher education audience and the public.

The most recent public outreach event, and one of those new passions, was the soft start of our SWELL presentations. The Second Wednesday Engagement Lunch and Learn (SWELL) will become a regularly scheduled event that rotates around the state. A hosting Architecture firm opens their office to other Architects, consultants, contractors and even possibly select government/municipal officials for an educational opportunity. Our hope is that these events will also be broadcast via Zoom to remote hubs across the state for a simultaneous virtual event. Topics can range from a product rep’s preapproved AIA presentation to an informal gathering discussing sustainability issues and strategies. The intent of the program is to draw our industry partners in so that they are on the same page as our members and so that everyone is able to learn together.

Brandon Daigle is our committee’s liaison to the AIA Wyoming Board of Directors; Committee member Kenra Shirley represents AIA Wyoming on the national Young Architects Forum (YAF); committee member Suzanne Norton is AIA Wyoming’s Continuing Education Services (CES) Coordinator; and Membership Development Committee’s liaison Britney Sulzen represents AIA Wyoming on the National Associates Committee (NAC). Having these committee members reporting what other chapters in the region and across the country are doing helps us provide the best services to our members.