Emerging Professionals
After the 2006 member firm summit meeting, AIA Kansas City kicked up their efforts to address the top issue on everyone’s list, the emerging professional. With licensure on the decline, the 2006 president, Marvin Manlove, AIA, tackled this issue with the formation of an Emerging Professional Task Force. This task force included many active associate members including past and present Associate Directors and the YAF chair. AIA Kansas City through the Emerging Professional Task Force allowed these separate focus groups minimal overlap, keeping the dialogue open between groups ensuring maximum success for everyone involved.
Expanding on these efforts, the IDP/ARE Task Force has transformed from a one man effort into an eight person committee in the last several years making the transition into the Emerging Professional Committee, expanding their scope beyond the planning of the annual ARE study sessions. Here is what this committee is doing to support the emerging professional:
AIA Kansas City IDP Firm of the Year Award
Collegiate Outreach
EPHH ║ Emerging Professional Happy Hour
AIM Initiative
YAF ║ Young Architects Forum
ARE ║Architect Registration Exam
IDP ║ Intern Development Program
Just Do It ║ A Path to Licensure
IFF ║ Intern Friendly Firm
TF║ Teaching Firm
AIA Kansas City IDP Firm of the Year Award
In fall of 2005, the AIA Kansas City IDP Firm of the Year Award celebrated its inaugural launch to honor a local member firm for outstanding commitment and support of IDP. This award sparked dialogues throughout the membership centering on firm internship and licensure support.
The 2005 winning firm, Gould Evans Associates, was inspired to stop and analyze their position and participation in intern development on the whole. As a result, Gould Evans Associates created IG:AP, a holistic firm approach to internship worthy of the award. After recieving the local award, Gould Evans went on to receive the National AIA IDP Firm of the Year Award.
The 2006 winning firm, BRR Architecture, was driven to create resources to attract, retain, and reward exceptional professionals. Their approach sparked the creation of the BRR Academy of Professional Development (BRR | apd), consisting of an in-house IDP/ARE support and AIA/CES Registered Provider Program.
Collegiate Outreach
One of the original goals of the Emerging Professional Task Force was to bridge the gap between college and the profession. Led by Brian Berg, AIA, an outreach program for future architects was initiated. Brian contacted local universities with an offer to come present and educate future architecture graduates on the importance of licensure, the IDP process, and what to expect after college. Brian and his team successfully presented at UMKC, KU, and K-State. Contact AIA Kansas City to schedule a presentation at your educational institution today.
EPHH ║ Emerging Professional Happy Hour
A second goal from the original Emerging Professional Task Force was designated to 2005 YAF Chair, Ryan Warman, AIA, and 2006 Associate Director, Amy Slattery, AIA. Ryan and Amy were charged with generating more emerging professional participation. Ryan has been in contact with member firms, bridging the gap and creating connections with their emerging professional in regards to the local AIA component, with an emphasis on YAF Lectures. Amy pulled together AIA Kansas City resources and on August 10, 2006, AIA Kansas City hosted the first Emerging Professional Happy Hour sponsored by Kaplan. This happy hour used the laid back and fun venue to introduce local emerging professionals not only to AIA Kansas City but to each other, as well as established practicing professionals, and celebrated those newly licensed in our local community. Join us for the next ep happy hour, scheduled this August 2007. More information is to come on this event.
AIM Initiative
The final goal to manifest from the original Emerging Professional Task Force was the desire to create a model of firm internship. The model’s purpose was to outline what every firm should be providing at the most basic level to their interns. Kate Galati, Associate AIA, took on this goal and created the AIM Initiative focusing on Awareness, Investment, and Mentorship. It was presented March 9, 2006 at the first 2006 member firm summit meeting and was well received. The ARE/IDP Task Force is in the process of planning to take the AIM Initiative a step further and transform it into something more tangible for firms to utilize in the development of their own internship program.
YAF ║ Young Architects Forum
Another AIA Kansas City committee that continues its role in supporting the emerging professional is YAF or Young Architects Forum. YAF focuses its activities on the interests and needs of younger members (i.e., those who have been out of architecture school for ten years or less). YAF’s purpose is to encourage the participation of younger members in AIA Kansas City programs and activities, and to promote their architectural work. This committee puts on an annual awards event, Monsters of Design, which continues to strengthen the collaboration of design among our allied organizations. In addition to the awards ceremony, the group provides a strong lecture series, which brings in new and innovative talent to inspire us all.
www.monstersofdesign.com
ARE ║Architect Registration Exam
This is an oldie but a goodie. AIA Kansas City continues to provide support for interns who are preparing to or have already embarked on the journey to licensure. Hard copies of study materials, which are updated annually, are available for AIA members to check out for two weeks at a time. Other support includes registered practicing professional instructed study sessions. These study sessions are usually held on Saturday mornings* at a variety of locations and are free for all AIA members and cost $20 for non-members. Here are the upcoming sessions:
*Sessions not held on Saturday mornings are held in the evening during the week.
Must visit links to assist you in preparing for the ARE:
www.areforum.net
http://www.areforum.org/generalstructures.htm
www.are-solutions.com
www.archvoices.org
www.kaplanaecarchitecture.com
http://ppi2pass.com /catalog/servlet/MyPpi_pg_archid.html
www.archiflash.com /afinfo.html
www.ncarb.org/Publications/arestudyguides.html
ftp://aretest:upload(AT)webbcomm.biz/
IDP ║ Intern Development Program
Want to be a licensed architect? Then IDP is most assuredly in your future. The Intern Development Program was created by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). The intention of this program was to facilitate well rounded professional development with various levels of training and responsibilities. IDP is a documentation vehicle which provides a platform to quantify these disciplines, preparing the emerging professional for the ultimate destination of licensure. This committee is working to build a support system and to create programs which can assist on this journey.
In 2005, AIA Kansas City resurrected a five meeting Construction Administration Workshop. The workshop gave interns a snapshot experience in construction administration as we followed and documented the construction of a bank branch building in Shawnee, Kansas. If your office has a local small fast tracked project and is willing to host a workshop, please contact AIA Kansas City to potentially make it an example for an upcoming workshop.
What to learn more on how to get licensed? Click Here.
Click here to get your record started.
Just Do It ║ A Path to Licensure
AIA Kansas City is committed to providing support for the emerging professionals on their path to licensure from start to finish. In an effort to elevate and accelerate the process, AIA Kansas City presents “Just Do It.” Scheduled to launch in Fall 2007, “Just Do It” creates a doable testing schedule to generate the momentum you need to start testing and stay testing until completion.
Path To Licensure Schedule
Contract Documents - Complete
Mechanical Electrical - Complete
Materials & Methods
General Structures
Lateral Forces
Building Planning
Building Technology
Site Planning
Pre-Design
IFF ║ Intern Friendly Firm
AIA Kansas City Intern Friendly Firms
ATA Architects
BRR Architecture
Gould Evans Associates
Hollis + Miller Architects
International Architects Atelier
Is your firm intern friendly? Summer of 2007, AIA Kansas City launches a new Intern Friendly Firm program to recognize member firms who support and encourage architectural interns to complete IDP and pass the ARE. The intention of this program is two fold, to create a resource for emerging professionals and students, and to encourage firms to take a more active participation in internship.
For additional information or to apply for this designation, click the link below and submit to AIA Kansas City for review. Upon approval, your firm will receive a certificate in the mail and Intern Friendly Firm Status on the AIA Kansas City member firm webpage. A firm’s Intern Friendly Firm Designation is valid for 2 years.
Click here for additional information.
Intern Friendly Firm Application
TF║ Teaching Firm
So your firm has Intern Friendly Firm status? So now what? Take your firm’s program to the next level and become a Teaching Firm. Summer of 2007, AIA Kansas City launches its new Teaching Firm program to recognize member firms which embody a firm-wide atmosphere of learning and shared knowledge by intensifying the learning process through. Teaching Firms not only provide continuous support encouraging the emerging professional to become licensed, but they also create a learning community within the firm by providing continuing education opportunities for its all staff members.
Click here for additional information.
Teaching Firm Application |
