ARCHITECTURE & EDUCATION
An In-Schools Program in partnership with Buffalo Public Schools
The award winning Architecture + Education (A+E) program brings over a decade of momentum and successful public outreach. Architecture + Education was founded to increase awareness and involvement in the built and natural environment and to use architecture as a multidisciplinary form of active learning. Running biennially, the Architecture + Education Program uses architecture to teach students math, science, history, art, and technology aligned with the Common Core, while raising awareness and appreciation of the built environment. Children are introduced to the profession of architecture, local practicing professionals, and the distinctive way of viewing the world and tackling problems through architecture as the tool. The program’s success lies in the collaboration between Buffalo Public School teachers, University at Buffalo and Buffalo State College students, and volunteer architects working collaboratively.
Architecture + Education was awarded the 2007 Commitment to Education Awards Corporate Silver Award from the Buffalo Alliance for Education and the 2013 American Institute of Architects National Diversity Recognition Program Award for promoting and supporting diversity in the profession of architecture.
Program Structure
01
Pre-Symposium Meeting
The meeting will outline the A+E Program, its history, and the time commitments/ benefits for potential volunteer architects and classroom teachers.
02
The Architecture + Education Program is kicked off with a day-long symposium for all participants, including volunteer architects, University at Buffalo and Buffalo State students, and Buffalo Public School teachers. All participants become “students for the day” exploring architectural principles and concepts through a series of lessons and activities. 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. Attendance is mandatory for participation in the program.
03
During the 8-10 in-class sessions, architects lead classroom discussions about the profession of architecture and how it relates to the topic that the students will be focusing on. During each class, the architect teaches a short lesson, and the students complete an activity related to the lesson and overall project. Activities are hands on and encourage students to creatively explore the task. Each lesson is built off of the last, so that in the end of the 8-10 weeks, the students have produced tangible projects that show their process and progress for learning.
04
Exhibit of Student Work
The culmination of the program is a public exhibit of the students’ work held at the CEPA gallery. This has been a great source of pride for students, parents, teachers and architects alike.
2026 Volunteer Spotlight
