As part of our firm’s equity initiatives, we are partnering with Your Street Your Voice (YSYV) to teach a class for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ high school students interested in design and racial justice. Based on one of LEVER’s current projects: Dekum Court, this 8-week virtual studio will teach students the basics of architectural drawing and scale. Using design as a tool for social and racial justice, students will have the opportunity to develop their own designs for the site and propose community-focused programming that serves the needs of the neighborhood. At the end of the course, students will present their designs for review and discussion with a panel of BIPOC industry professionals.

YSYV is a paid after school program which empowers high school students of targeted identities to be agents of change in their communities as designers and activists for racial, social, and environmental justice. Visit their website to learn more: https://www.yourstreetyourvoice.com/about