The Happold Foundation supports several innovative and exciting programs and organisations in the USA, focusing on partnering with projects that promote education and the next generation of engineers. We’re delighted to be able to share more about the fantastic work our partners carry out and how we support them.
ACE Mentor Program
The ACE mentorship program is designed for High School students who are passionate about architecture, engineering and construction. The program provides industry mentors who work with students to introduce them to the sector, while also developing a design project that they present to family and peers at the end of the course. ACE offers mentoring to 15-30 children each year from different schools across NYC, LA and Boston.
The Happold Foundation sponsored two $2000 scholarships in LA and New York in 2022. We also secured Buro Happold staff to provide mentorship, and work experience placements at the Buro Happold New York office. As well as practical experience, the placements have included reviewing resumes and running mock interviews.
As well as actively participating in the mentorship of the students, three of our Trustees, Sarah Sachs, Patti Harburg-Patrich and Trevor Reynolds are involved with ACE, from being on the board to sitting on committees.
Pando Days
At Elephant Hill, El Sereno, USC students and local residents take part in a regeneration project
Another project we supported during 2022 was Pando Days, a project-centred learning program based in Southland focused on implementing county equality and sustainability goals. With aspirations to encourage schools to invest and participate in the communities where they work and live, the initiative includes taking on challenges such as food shortages, climate change and homelessness.
Design by Diversity – Paul Revere Williams Day
Paul Revere Williams Day 2022
The Happold Foundation supported this Block Party style event in the spring of 2022. The event provided a variety of activities, speakers, and exhibitions for attendees to participate in ‘circular mentorship’ and engage with others across many ages and experience levels. The event welcomed anyone interested in the design, engineering and construction; from school children to college students to seasoned professionals.
The Happold Foundation provided $3000 to sponsor an incredible student design competition, which had submissions from across Southern California. Decided by pubic voting at the event, the competition was won by Emory Marks, a Junior in High School who had never considered Architecture as a career option previously.
LA Promise Fund
The LA Promise Fund is a non-profit organisation that aims to improve outcomes for high school students and provide work experience opportunities to help secure access to college and further education. They are particularly focussed on securing placements for students who are at risk of oppression or marginalisation.
Our partnership with the LA Promise Fund has seen us sponsor four internship of high school students in the region. Taking place across four weeks during the school summer break, three interns undertook placements at Buro Happold’s LA office, and one at a local LA non-profit organisation.
Following on from a successful year of exciting partnerships in 2022-23, the Happold Foundation are looking to increase its support and sponsorship over the coming months. Our trustees are actively working with a number of new organisations as well as continuing relationships with current partners to support a range of projects that will have a real impact on the future of our industry. We look forward to bringing our community more news on our progress in the upcoming Happold Foundation Impact Report.