Mentorship at All Scales, Part I: AIA Local Chapters

By Gabriela Baierle, AIA

Mentorship exists at the very core of our profession. Not only is the dedication to mentoring efforts vital in strengthening the pipeline of shared architectural knowledge, it is also imperative as a device to advance the careers of those historically underrepresented in the field. Often times, it is acts of mentorship that open the right doors, offer a seat at the table, relay a key piece of advice. And dedication to this effort is also at the core of the College of Fellows.

In 2023, each of the Quarterly newsletter issues will feature ongoing mentorship programs happening across the country. Fellow participation and engagement is key to the success of these programs - we encourage you to get in touch and become involved!

AIA Local Chapters: Bridging the Gap Local chapters of the AIA are uniquely well-positioned to reach audiences of both emerging professionals and seasoned practitioners. Chapters not only serve as venues through which these particular groups gather; local chapter events also allow for the exchange of ideas around specific topics, such as leadership, community service, or the experience of being a woman in design.

The format spectrum is broad and ranges from rigid time frames with pre-selected cohorts, such as AIA Cincinnati's VISION, to recurring meetings that are open to the public, like AIA San Francisco's Mentorship Committee. What follows is a snapshot of each of these programs:

Leadership Series

AIA Wisconsin: Architect Mentor Professional (AMP) Leadership Institute

The AIA Wisconsin Architect Mentor Professional (AMP) Leadership Institute features seven sessions addressing important leadership topics to advance the relevance of our profession. Designed for emerging professionals, the initiative has both an inward and outward focus to help elevate the profession by preparing architects with enhanced individual, firm, and community leadership skills.

AIA Cincinnati: VISION Mentorship Program

VISION is a year-long, award-winning program that supports emerging professionals interested in developing the skills necessary to advance to higher levels within the architectural profession. Each year, a class of a dozen candidates are selected to take part in monthly full-day training and workshops. Applications are accepted in October and the program runs November through August.

In addition, VISION offers seven public keynote talks on subjects including community, advocacy, and the design process. VISION Keynote talks take place the third Thursday of the month.

Hybrid Formats

AIA San Francisco: Mentorship Committee

The Mentorship Committee strives to create a unique experience that promotes collaboration between all levels of professionals. The committee facilitates cross-generational interaction between established and emerging professionals for personal and professional development. The program is open to everyone and meets monthly.

AIA New York: Women In Architecture Speed Mentoring

One of WIA’s core programs, this annual event provides networking opportunities for women architects, facilitating interaction across multiple professional levels. Attendees meet in small groups with professional mentors of all levels in three 20-minute sessions for informal discussions. Each session will be helmed by one of WIA’s mentors, many of whom are partners or principals at their firms. Participants are encouraged to offer advice, share experiences, and discuss career goals.

AIA East Bay: 5x5x5 Mentorship Program

The 5x5x5 program creates a peer network of engaged professionals and stimulates intergenerational and interdisciplinary dialogue. Participation in this program adds value to personal career and leadership development for the rising generation in the architecture profession and fosters continual learning to promote the East Bay architectural community at large.

Boston Society for Architecture: WiD Mid-Career / BosNOMA Mentorship Program

Women in Design, in collaboration with the Women’s Principal’s Group and BosNOMA, facilitates a nine-month long mentorship program for designers and architects in the Boston area, specifically to support women within the mid-point of their professional careers.

After the completion of the application period, mentees and mentors are paired based on their shared interests and needs. The committee notifies the participants of their matches and provides a kick-off and closing event. The success of the program lies in the frequency and quality of meetings established by the pairs. Pairs are encouraged to join BSA, WiD, and BosNOMA events.

ONE-ON-ONE PAIRING WITH FELLOWS OF THE AIA

AIA Chicago: Bridge Mentorship Program

AIA Chicago’s Bridge offers an eight-month curriculum of curated programs coupled with informal, one-on-one meetings between mentors and mentees. Each selected participant is paired with a local AIA Fellow acting as their mentor. The program incorporates informal social events and organized mentorship discussions focusing on past experiences, career development, and the future of the architectural profession. Throughout the program, the mentors and mentees will also meet in a one-on-one setting to informally discuss specific professional goals while further developing and strengthening their relationship.

AIA New York: TORCH Mentorship Program

Designed to empower architects from a variety of personal and career paths, TORCH brings together Emerging Professionals (EPs) with Fellows of the AIA (FAIAs) to foster symbiotic relationships centered around mentorship, dialogue, and shared experiences. TORCH pursues this mission via two avenues: public events that help EPs and FAIAs engage one another in a mutual learning and networking environment, and an application-based, one-to-one mentorship program that pairs each admitted EP with a dedicated Fellow for a period of one year.

AIA|DC: Mentorship Program

The AIA|DC Mentorship Program pairs each emerging candidate with a Fellow starting in March, for formal and informal workshops and one-on-one mentoring sessions. The program will incorporate informal social events if allowed by health and public safety standards, as well as organized mentorship discussions focusing the conversation on past experiences, career development, and the future of the architectural profession.

CALL FOR FIRM-WIDE MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS

The Executive Committee seeks information on firm-wide mentorship programs to feature in the next issue of the Quarterly e-publication (Q2).

In support of the Mentoring pillar of the College of Fellows' mission, the intent of this feature is to elevate and highlight the many ways firms support mentoring, including how Fellows contribute to the effort..

Please fill out this form if you would like to submit information about a firm-wide program. If you have any questions, please contact AIA COF Executive Committee (cof@aia.org).

Submissions are due by 11pm ET on March 30th, 2023.