Bringing Chicago's Architecture to Life for Chicago Public School Students

Architecture shapes every neighborhood, park, and street we walk through, yet design is rarely taught in middle and high school. The ICAA's youth programs change that.

This spring, the ICAA Chicago-Midwest chapter partnered with Columbia Explorers Academy, a Chicago Public School, to bring the Grand Tour to its students at no cost to the school. In a single day, students stepped into the shoes of architects. They learned the classical traditions behind Chicago's great civic spaces, explored Grant Park, the Art Institute, and the Chicago Cultural Center with practicing architects, and designed their own pavilions to serve their communities.

In the 2026–27 school year, we're deepening that partnership through New Heights, our immersive program that introduces students to the full range of design and building careers. These include architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, the allied arts and craftsmanship, fine arts, and construction and the trades. By meeting the professionals who shape our city, students discover a world of opportunities they may never have known existed.