For the seventh year, EXP is partnered with Lindblom Math and Science Academy, a selective enrollment high school on Chicago’s south side, to teach a group of students about architecture and engineering and connect them with mentors from EXP.
On a bi-weekly basis, around a dozen junior and senior Lindblom students visit the EXP office to meet with EXP employees who talk about their careers in architecture, civil engineering, structural engineering, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. Along with presentations from EXP employees, students complete hands-on learning activities that illustrate how different engineering and architecture principles are used.
The goal of this program is to expose students to the different types of engineering and architecture career paths, show them real-life projects and help them further pursue their passions. Throughout the second semester, students work on a design project to put their skills into practice. This year, the students have been tasked with designing a plan for a building located on an empty lot near EXP’s downtown Chicago office.
“The goal of the project is to apply the skills that they have learned in each discipline,” said EXP Civil Engineer Jack Timmins, who is a mentor in the Lindblom program. “This program allows the students to participate in a project that mimics a real-life infrastructure project. Each week, we teach them about different principles and strategies that they can use in this project, but also in their future careers.”
Students visited the site that inspired their project to get hands on experience in site evaluation. They then must create an architectural framework for the building and design specifics of the building including HVAC, lighting fixture connectivity, utilities, grading, ensuring ADA compliance and more. At the end of the semester, students present their projects to their mentors, classmates and parents.
“While working on our project, we were able to put all of the different disciplines that we learned about into practice. It felt extremely rewarding to use my newly learned skills to create something beautiful with my teammates. As a capstone to our time at EXP, this project allowed us to have a preview of the challenges and tasks that we will experience when working on real-life projects,” said Adorie Williams, a Lindblom student in the program.
We are proud to see what these talented students accomplish each semester. Their hard work and passion for their future careers is a rewarding experience for all the mentors who work with them, and we are thrilled to invest in the next generation of engineers and architects.