March 8, 2022

AIA New Jersey Equity in Architecture Committee Pledges Mentorship in Honor of International Women’s Day

In honor of International Women’s Day, the AIA New Jersey Equity in Architecture Committee pledges to encourage Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in our industry by partnering with the Arquitina Planning Committee and the Architects Foundation in offering mentorship to future architects. 

Arquitina is a professional leadership and licensure organization for emerging Latina/x Women in the field of Architecture. They are a group of multicultural, Latina/x who are passionate about architecture and the built environment. They proudly contribute to the profession as architects, planners, construction managers and sustainability professionals. There are just over 116,200 licensed architects in the United States, about 20% are women and less than 1% are Latina/x. Their mission is to raise this 1%, while creating equitable and inclusive opportunities in the architectural profession. We support that mission. 

Today we begin mentee recruitment of the Spring 2022 cohort. Through the cohort initiative, Arquitina candidates receive the mentorship, encouragement and resources necessary to clear the path to licensure and pursue a successful career in architecture. Applications will be open from March 7th through the 21st. The application form can be reached HERE.  

The Architects Foundation Mentorship Program seeks to provide architect mentors for recipients of the Architects Foundation Diversity Advancement Scholarship. Many students enter architecture programs with misconceptions about the realities of the profession and/or knowing very little about professional practice. The rigors of architecture programs often leave students so engrossed in their academic program that they are left with little time to develop relationships outside of their school or college. Focusing on the success in their design studio, students are often unaware or lose sight of the important role professional relationships and networking can play in their professional careers. A lack of diversity in schools of architecture can also lead to a feeling of isolation for many minorities in architecture programs. To that end, the AF is launching a mentorship pilot program to support scholarship recipients during their time in their respective architecture programs. Interested AIA NJ mentors can apply HERE. 

By Stacey Ruhle Kliesch, AIA, AIA NJ Advocacy Consultant | Posted in EquityInArchitecture, Women in Architecture | Tagged: #Arquitina, #diversity, #equity, #Inclusion, #WIA, #womeninarchitecture | Comments (0)