As part of DIALOG’s commitment to equity and inclusion, DIALOG initiated a Community Outreach Team to develop a more diverse pipeline into our practice. By reaching and inspiring young people from under-privileged and under-represented backgrounds, we aim to help lay a foundation for a more engaged communities in all of the cities DIALOG has a presence.
As a first step, DIALOG has developed a panel discussion workshop with Visions of Science and is working to build out a series that will include 1-1 mentorship. This initiative is part of recognizing the gap in representation within the profession and encouraging youth to have greater involvement in building their communities.
The program kicked off on January 27 when DIALOG and Visions of Science hosted their first panel discussion series titled Transit Stories. DIALOGers from across our studios and across disciplines shared their career journey and insights into their day to day work with 32 young students. They gave students a look into transit design projects and talked about how they collaborate with each other.
“My favourite part of the experience was getting to speak to the professionals during the workshop about their careers. I mentioned that I wanted to be a computer engineer and they were very encouraging.” – Youth Participant, VoS STEM Leaders program
Following the presentation, breakout rooms were held with each of the DIALOG presenters, giving students a more intimate setting to ask questions. The discussions went beyond design into broader questions about their environment: how can students engage in projects within their community? What role does sustainability play within their households and how does it impact our shared environment?
Thank you to Visions of Science and the student participants for bringing such a wonderful energy to the discussion. A special thank you to DIALOG presenters Larissa Ulcar (Structural Engineering), Siassia Likibi (Sustainability), Rene Lau (Planning and Urban Design) and Mahsa Shobbar (Architecture) for a wonderful job connecting with the students.
This is only the beginning: DIALOG is open to working with more organizations that support marginalized groups. If you have an idea to share, reach out!
We believe great design can change the world. By sharing our stories we hope to inspire that same passion in the young leaders of tomorrow. We are so proud to work with Visions of Science to build a solid foundation for STEAM learning.Naresh Arora
About Visions of Science
Visions of Science is a charitable organization that exists to advance the educational achievement and positive development of youth from low-income and marginalized communities through meaningful engagement in science, technology, engineering, architecture and mathematics (STEAM) disciplines through mentorship, accessibility, partnerships and developmental experiences.