2019 Directory

14 WYOMING ARCHITECTURE .19 | www.aia-wyoming.org Education & Resources Committee Adopt a School in Your Community BY LEVI VAN BUGGENUM, AIA Committee Members: Levi Van Buggenum, AIA, Chair Dan Stalker, AIA John Carney, FAIA, COF Representative Brandon Daigle, AIA, AXP Advisor Suzanne Norton, AIA, CES Coordinator Jera Likely, PE, SE; Nick Zimmerman, PE, Assoc. AIA T he practice of architecture has a pro- found influence on the built environ- ment, yet very few people know an architect, and even fewer know what architects do. It is a small group of professionals who shape the designed environment, and young people need to hear from this group. The Education and Resource Committee (ERC) has a mission to change this and has been strategically working with Architects and En- gineers across the state of Wyoming to share with elementary students about design and its influence on the built environment. 2018 was the first year that AIA Wyoming, the Education and Resource Committee, and the University of Wyoming teamed up to campaign an outreach with schools across the state. The mission is to develop lasting relationships between schools and local Ar- chitects / Engineers, for design professionals to engage their community. The goal is to develop these connections in the largest ten 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). In 2018, relation- ships had been developed in six (Cheyenne, Casper, Laramie, Gillette, Rock Springs, and Sheridan) of the top ten cities, reaching over 300 students in nine different schools. The committee hopes to complete this goal in 2019 and is looking for architects who want to connect with students and share their passion for design. In the work environment, designers are tasked to reconcile complex problems and produce tangible results from multilayered inputs, and frequently, intangible qualities. This task requires unique modes of thinking to translate these feeds into buildable struc- tures, and students are fascinated by stories of how designers work and think. The com- mittee has developed a few activities to help structure a discussion about design, however, the true magic happens when presenters share their interests and add their slant to the content and make the presentations reflect local culture and personal interests. In the classroom, design professionals are welcomed with great enthusiasm by crowds of curious little minds. The activities done were collaborative, and small groups of students were challenged to build towers using marshmallows and toothpicks. The challenge is timed, and students work as a team to strategize and build their towers, with a mission to obtain maximum height. Given the team structure, and the dual aspect of conceptualizing and building, there are abundant opportunities to impart these fundamental modalities of how architects and engineers collaborate, think about challenges, and ultimately develop solutions. If anyone is interested in participating in a presentation with a local school, please contact Levi Van Buggenum, AIA, at LeviV@aretedesign.group. Other members of the committee continue to hold positions within our Chapter that lead to the promotion of the goals and strategies of the strategic plan. Nick Zimmerman, Assoc. AIA, sits on this committee not only as a board liaison but as the Chapter’s Associ- ate Director. The Associate Directors of the Western Mountain Region hold monthly calls to encourage the promotion of emerging pro- fessional events and activities in each State Chapter. John Carney, FAIA, is our College of Fellows Representative. He participates in conversations with the Western Mountain Region COF and promotes mentoring activ- ities, as well as encourages those members in submitting for this high honor. Brandon Dai- gle, AIA, is our AXP Advisor and is available to assist architects in training and encourages those on the path to licensure. At the end of 2018, AIA introduced the new AIA CES Dashboard system. This system is used by AIA CES Providers like AIA Wyo- ming to ensure proper approval of continuing education credits for licensed professionals. Over the last year our CES Coordinator Suzanne Norton, AIA, and Susan Menghini have been training on the new system. We welcomed Suzanne Norton as our new CES Coordinator and recognized Jo Haley, Assoc. AIA, for her years of service to the Chapter. We are looking forward to 2020 and will continue to provide resources regarding the education of the architectural profession available to students, AIA Wyoming mem- bers and the public. b