Emerging Architects Initiative
AIA Pennsylvania NAAB Graduate Candidate Achievement Award
Each year in collaboration with faculty of each of Pennsylvania’s eight NAAB architectural programs a single graduating student is selected to receive the AIA Pennsylvania [new name - Futures / Student Achievement / ? re-rewrite the following statement to be more direct tag line] Award “recognizing the exceptional scholastic achievement and future promise of a graduating Architectural Design student…. The student should have proven to be proficient in both academics and design, and ready to take on the challenges and responsibilities of the work environment in an architecture firm.”
The AIA Pennsylvania NAAB Senior Student Achievement Scholarship is a single scholarship available to one of these eight qualifying graduates to pursue post-graduate studies. Selection is made through application and judging by the AIA Pennsylvania Special Awards Selection Committee.
AIA Pennsylvania Community College Student Achievement Award
Each year in collaboration with faculty of each of Pennsylvania’s eight NAAB architectural programs a single graduating student is selected to receive the AIA Pennsylvania [new name - Futures / Student Achievement / ? re-rewrite the following statement to be more direct tag line] Award “recognizing the exceptional scholastic achievement and future promise of a graduating Architectural Design student…. The student should have proven to be proficient in both academics and design, and ready to take on the challenges and responsibilities of the work environment in an architecture firm.”
AIA Pennsylvania, Paula Maynes ARE Scholarship
Each year in collaboration with faculty of each of Pennsylvania’s eight NAAB architectural programs a single graduating student is selected to receive the AIA Pennsylvania [new name - Futures / Student Achievement / ? re-rewrite the following statement to be more direct tag line] Award “recognizing the exceptional scholastic achievement and future promise of a graduating Architectural Design student…. The student should have proven to be proficient in both academics and design, and ready to take on the challenges and responsibilities of the work environment in an architecture firm.”
The AIA Pennsylvania NAAB Senior Student Achievement Scholarship is a single scholarship available to one of these eight qualifying graduates to pursue post-graduate studies. Selection is made through application and judging by the AIA Pennsylvania Special Awards Selection Committee.
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Emerging architects survive the studio critiques, log the hours, and earn the degree — one of the most demanding professional educations in any field. Then comes the harder part: the long span between graduation and licensure, built on the Architectural Experience Program and the ARE. It's a gauntlet designed to produce architects of the highest caliber, and the AIA Pennsylvania Foundation believes it shouldn't be derailed by the cost of the exams standing between a talented emerging professional and the credential they've earned. The Foundation's ARE grants remove that load-bearing obstacle, so the only thing between an emerging architect and their license is the work itself — not the fees.
Licensure is only part of the journey, though. There are things no studio course can teach — how to navigate a tough client, how to find your voice in a firm that doesn't yet know your name, how to build a career with longevity. That's where mentorship comes in. The Foundation's program pairs emerging architects with seasoned practitioners who bring candor, real-world perspective, and genuine investment in the next generation — the kind of support system that keeps a career on track, even when times get tough.
And behind every emerging architect who thrives, there's usually a firm that got the office culture right — one that offers real responsibility alongside real guidance, instead of treating mentorship as a distraction from billable hours. Through its firm recognition awards, the Foundation spotlights the Pennsylvania practices building that kind of culture: places where young architects are seen, challenged, and given room to grow into their full potential. Because the profession doesn't just need emerging architects to survive the path to licensure — it needs firms and mentors willing to help them forge their own.
