By Levi Van Buggenum, AIA
Committee Members:
Levi Van Buggenum, AIA, Chair
Jera Likely, P.E., S.E.
Dan Stalker, AIA
Joseph Palmer, AIA
Brandon Daigle, AIA
Britney Sulzen, Assoc. AIA
The pandemic has had a particularly hard impact on the engagements that the Educational and Resource Committee has been working on, given that key programs the committee focuses on depend on face to face connections with groups of students on school campuses. Although the option exists to engage with students via a digital platform, the content is best delivered while sharing physical space with the audience. As society defines new norms for interactions in physical spaces, the committee has delayed its fall programs for 2020. It anticipates bringing programs back in 2021.
The Education and Resource Committee’s chief goal is to promote architecture. It has targeted this task by creating a face to face workshop where fourth grade students learn about architecture through play. The committee continues its goal of focusing on connecting with students and teachers in the 10 largest cities in Wyoming (1. Cheyenne, 2. Casper, 3. Laramie, 4. Gillette, 5. Rock Springs, 6. Sheridan, 7. Green River, 8. Evanston, 9. Riverton, 10. Jackson), and the committee continues to seek local architects to volunteer. However, it is unclear when schools will be open again to extracurricular events like this, and until then, this goal is on hold.
The Education and Resource Committee’s chief goal is to promote architecture. It has targeted this task by creating a face to face workshop where fourth grade students learn about architecture through play. The committee continues its goal of focusing on connecting with students and teachers in the 10 largest cities in Wyoming (1. Cheyenne, 2. Casper, 3. Laramie, 4. Gillette, 5. Rock Springs, 6. Sheridan, 7. Green River, 8. Evanston, 9. Riverton, 10. Jackson), and the committee continues to seek local architects to volunteer. However, it is unclear when schools will be open again to extracurricular events like this, and until then, this goal is on hold.
In addition to elementary school outreach, the committee has begun to develop a conversation with a different audience, our communities’ college-aged students. This effort aims to discuss architecture on college campuses across the state to engage students, faculty and the public. This outreach is taking the form of a lecture series. It seeks to unpackage a discussion about relevant architectural topics with the support of AIA Wyoming chapter members as the talent to lead and support this conversation. The program is just beginning to be developed. The committee will host the first lecture at the Sheridan College campus once the campus is open again. The committee hopes this lecture series will become an event that college campuses across the state support and host, relying on local architects’ help to facilitate the conversation.
The committee is excited about the continued efforts to reach high school students and the new outreach developments to a higher education audience and the public. It hopes the platforms of exchange that support these discussions will be open soon.
If you are interested in hearing more and volunteering, please contact Levi Van Buggenum at LeviV@aretedesign.group
Levi Van Buggenum, AIA
This story appears in the 2020 Directory of the Wyoming Architecture Magazine.
