Architecture in the Schools
AIS Chair, Mary Shaffer, AIA; with architect Bob Shaffer, AIA , present to kids. 
A group of fifth grad girls work on thsir workbooks together. during AIS Week '07. - i
Visual aids brought to classrooms included 3-D models, Everyday Spaces a& Places workbook and 100 places + 1 book.
Architecture in the Schools Overview
Work with teachers and students to bring architectural ideas and concepts to schools as a committee member and/or speaker. As a committee member, get involved in developing a classroom presentation kit, the DoodleOpolis curriculum, and responding to requests from schools and organizations including matching up speakers to fill specific needs. Speakers enjoy the rewarding experience of sharing architectural concepts and ideas with teachers and students
The Architecture in the Schools Committee fits into AIA Minnesota's strategic goals of Information and Knowledge Delivery, External Dialogue (with the public), Advocacy and Value. Our mission statement sums up the activities of the Architecture in the Schools committee: "To equip architects and educators with the tools needed to introduce the concepts of architecture to students of all ages."
While we are currently structured as an executive committee, meeting once a month, we encourage members to attend meetings or to work on many of our independent projects as listed below.
Architecture in the Schools NEWS
04/2009
Architecture in the Schools Committee is currently developing a new tool to present to high school students. If you have any suggestions, feel free to contact Stephanie Pelzer. Or join us at our next meeting to share your thoughts!
11/2008
AIA Minnesota’s Architecture in the Schools Committee is pleased to announce their partnership with Sidelines Education to bring community planning to Minnesota school children. SiteLines’award-winning 
Sightseeing curriculum (formerly “Environmental Literacy”) teaches children in grades 4-8 how see the built environment and substantively engage in the public planning process. For more information about Sightseeing and how you can become involved contact Mary deLaittre.
Chair: Marie Parish, Assoc. AIA marie@foundationarch.com
AIA Staff Liaison: Stephanie Pelzer pelzer@aia-mn.org
Meeting Date: Second Thursday of the month at 8:00 am, AIA office
Spaces + Places: Everyday Landmarks -an hour long workbook will introduce students to the 10 Principles of Livable Communities (an AIA initiative) and guides them through hands-on activities. At the end of the project, each student designs a landmark for his or her community or school and keeps their workbooks, compliments of AIA Minnesota and AIA National.
Being An Architect - a flyer for middle school children and high school-aged young adults on architecture and what it means to be an architect. If you are an architect planning to visit a classroom or a teacher looking for resources you may request color copies by calling AIA Minnesota.
DoodleOpolis - Adventures in Urban Architecture - a curricula that can be geared towards 5th through 8th grade students. The two components of DoodleOpolis include Cityscape, which introduces young students to concepts of design and architecture, such as scale, proportion and detail; and Puzzles of the Past: Urban History, which introduces concepts of urban planning and asks questions about why there are cities, helping students to understand how cities evolve.
World Architecture - great buildings of the world, from pyramids to present day; a PowerPoint presentation - Since February 2003, we have been working in partnership with the University of Minnesota chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS). The World Architecture presentation is part of the Architecture Presentation Guide, and helps architects in speaking to youth about architecture.
Architecture Presentation Guide - a list of resources available for architects to use in presentations to classrooms, including the World Architecture presentation described above. When architects are asked to present to a class, they often call the AIA Minnesota office seeking resources, which are currently quite limited. Our committee decided to fill that need by compiling our architectural classroom activities into a collection that AIA members can borrow when they are asked to speak - from slide shows to hands-on activities, ranging from one class period to several.