When Kelly joined AIA Buffalo/WNY Chapter was seeking opportunities to educate high school students about the architectural profession. Based on her experience as a playground designer, Kelly understood the need to connect to students much earlier than high school. She also advocated for the opportunities to use the design process as a multidisciplinary teaching tool to transform the educational experience.

In 2000, as chair of the AIA Buffalo/WNY Chapter Education Committee, Kelly founded and organized Architecture + Education to increase awareness and involvement in the built and natural environment and to use architecture as a multidisciplinary form of active learning. The program brings architects and teachers together to teach architectural principles in the classroom. The program’s overwhelming success has led to a full time partnership between the UB School of Architecture and Planning, Buffalo State College, the Buff alo Public Schools and the Buffalo Architecture Foundation.

The Program

Architecture + Education uses architecture and design concepts as a multidisciplinary form of active learning. It also helps to increase awareness and appreciation for the built environment and local communities. Th e program brings together local practicing architects, classroom teachers and UB architecture students to create unique lesson plans that introduce architecture and design concepts into Common Core curriculum, activating the way students learn. The program is divided into three parts:

• Symposium: Th e project begins with a daylong symposium for all participants, including architects, designers, University at Buffalo (UB) students and Buffalo Public School teachers. All participants learn architectural principles and concepts through a series of lessons and activities. Educators and architects partner on a variety of other architecture projects. The symposium concludes with the architect/teacher teams developing unique lesson plans that will be implemented in the classroom over the next 8-10 weeks.

• In-Class Sessions: During the 8-10 in-class sessions, architects and UB students lead classroom discussions about the profession of architecture and how it relates to the topic the students will be addressing. In each class, the architect teaches a short lesson, and the students complete an activity related to the lesson and overall project.

• Exhibit: The culmination of each program is an exhibit of the students’ work. Th is is a celebration of the hard work of many people, especially the students. The exhibit takes place in a local gallery in downtown Buffalo for the families of the participants. The exhibit and program have been a great source of pride for students, parents, teachers and architects.