Architecture Internships and Summer Architecture Programs for High School Students

If your long-term career goal is to become an architect, you may want to consider applying for a architecture internship or summer program since they will provide an introduction to the theory and practice of this exciting profession while also boosting your university and college applications.  What follows is a list of the best architecture summer schools. 

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1. Cornell University's Introduction to Architecture and Design Precollege  Program

Cornell University, one of the best architecture colleges in the US,  offers an intensive six-week program for highly motivated high school students interested in the study and practice of architecture and adjacent disciplinesIt is taught by Cornell faculty and consists of a series of lectures on design history, principles and theory and  workshops about methods of solving architectural problems. The workshops take place in a studio and culminate in a final project. Students can commute to campus or choose a residential option.

2.Columbia University Pre-College Programs in Architecture r 

Columbia University's pre-college programs offer two three-week courses in architecture: Introduction to Architectural Design and Theory , and Urban Planning and Design. The former brings together traditional lectures and architectural tours while seeking to develop in students a better understanding of key concepts in architectural theory and history. Students who choose this course will leave with a design project that can form the basis of a future portfolio. The latter seeks to foster acumen for addressing social issues in urban planning. Both courses are  taught by expert instructors and take place on Columbia’s New York City  campus. The courses are intensive and offer both residential and commuter options. . 

3. UC Berkeley's embARC Summer Design Academy

embARC is a four-week architecture summer program offered by the University of California, Berkeley. Unlike the programs above, this program focuses on the relation between architecture and the environment. It offers the opportunity to take part in a community improvement project by partnering with local non-profit organisations. Past projects have addressed food insecurity, urban agriculture and ecology. This program also covers the principles of architecture. Through a series of workshops in studios, it provides training in  2D and 3D design using freehand sketching and digital representation. Through lectures delivered by Berkeley faculty, it teaches the theories underpinning environmental design. On completion, students receive college credits on an official UC Berkeley transcript. 

4. Rhode Island School of Design's Pre-College Program

This is a summer intensive program which provides a college-level curriculum in various aspects of art and design, from ceramics and fashion design to game design and, of course, architecture (just to name a few). Regardless of the discipline students decide to focus on, they all study drawing and design  foundations and critical studies in art. But, if the focus is architecture, the program also covers the main philosophies that inform how spaces are designed, in-studio development of technical skills to draft projects, and play with scale and proportions. Students also carry out a project by applying what they have learned to a physical prototype they themselves have created. The program lasts five weeks and is exclusively residential to allow students to immerse themselves in college-style life and study.

5. Fallingwater Institute High School Residencies

This summer program  is named after the famous Fallingwater house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935 for Edgar Kaufmann, who became a curator and professor of art after having explored several career paths linked to  architecture and design. The residencies, which generally last five days, honour both Wright’s and Kaufmann’s legacies. Students learn the principles of architecture and design with hands-on drawing and design projects that build on Wright’s principles of organic architecture and Fallingwater itself. They also  participate in immersive studio-based learning and career guidance to enhance their awareness of the multiple professional paths open to them.  

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6. Sasaki Foundation Summer Exploratory Experience in Design

Named after Hideo Sasaki, a high-profile Japanese American landscape architect, the Sasaki  Foundation has established the Summer Exploratory Experience in Design (SEED), a six-week paid internship informed by Sasaki’s distinctive  approach to design and architecture, Massachusetts. Sasaki firmly believed in the power of collaboration for solving problems. In line with this, SEED’s main aim is to introduce high school students to the world of design through collaborative work, community organisations and real local projects. SEED takes place in Boston, at the Sasaki Foundation, and requires interns to be  to be residents of Boston of the Metro North region.

7. Chicago Architecture Center’s  Teen Fellows

Teen Fellows takes place in Chicago and is organised by the Chicago Architecture Centre. It lasts fifteen months and consists of short-term fellowships followed by a paid summer internship to high school students who want to explore foundational architectural skills. Fellows and interns explore Chicago’s built environment and how it has changed over time; work with physical models using various materials; develop digital designs using software and visit architectural landmarks. 

Anyone can apply for Teen Fellows but priority is given to high school students who attend high school in Chicago and the surrounding area and who are able to commit to the the entire duration of the fellowship and internship. 

Conclusion

Architecture internships and summer schools for high school students expose you to the theory and practice of  architecture and prepare you for academic and career success in the future. Always check eligibility and application instructions for each program. Most internships require you to be passionate about this field, and there is no better way to prove that than by participating in relevant extracurricular programs.

If you want to improve your chances of competing for coveted internship positions, then an extracurricular education initiative such as the Indigo Research High School Program will help you to achieve this goal. Our program will help develop expertise in architecture and related disciplines and sharpen your critical thinking and research skills. This will give you a competitive advantage when applying for an internship, summer school, or college. Start investing in your future today, get in touch with us for more information about the Indigo Research Program.

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