Project Pipeline Architecture Summer Camp Helps Build Dreams at TSC

Texas Southmost College (TSC), in conjunction with the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), hosted an installment of the Project Pipeline Architecture Summer Camp on July 12 and 13, 2024 at the college’s International Technology, Education and Commerce (ITEC) Center.

The two-day camp introduced 11th and 12th-grade students to the various aspects of architecture with hands-on activities and games facilitated by mentors with whom the students would work. These mentors include professional architects, students in TSC’s architecture program, and professionals from related fields who were eager to share their knowledge and guide participants through their activities.

Since 2020, NOMA of Central Texas has hosted the Project Pipeline camp at UT Austin and UT San Antonio, but now TSC will have the unique distinction of hosting the camp for the first time in the Rio Grande Valley.

“We have a lot of people in central Texas who are part of our group and are originally from the Rio Grande Valley, so many of them really wanted us to start a camp here. We have a strong connection with the valley in terms of our membership, so it was important for us to come down here and be a new resource for the youth in this area who would like to journey into this field.”

The overall goal of the camp is to help inspire and empower young students who are interested in studying to become architects. Under the guidance of the program mentors, students gain valuable information about architecture as both an educational and career pathway, learning and gaining insight from experiences that the professionals have had throughout their careers. Additionally, they can develop a greater understanding of the impacts that architects can make in their line of work.

“The purpose of these camps is to help introduce young students to the field of architecture by giving them a rough introduction to architectural concepts and a little bit about what we do as professional architects,” said Albert Condarco, Chair of the Planning and Activities Committee with NOMA of Central Texas. “We have mentors, who are either professional architects or architecture students, come in and guide the students and give them more information about the field and what paths they could take should they want to pursue architecture as a career.”

Included among the mentors were professionals from various local architectural services, as well as members of the TSC faculty. A diverse group of mentors contributed to a wealth of experience from which the students could learn. “We have people with various backgrounds in the profession, so if the students want to learn a bit more, they have the opportunity to ask questions like what to expect from the profession, how we work, and other specific things they might be curious to know,” said Jose Gonzalez, an Architecture instructor with TSC.

Toward the end of the camp experience, students will put their newfound knowledge to the test in the form of a design project. In addition to building a physical model of their projects, they must demonstrate how their project can have a positive community impact through its design.
“This camp is a great opportunity for students to interact with professional architects and currently enrolled college students in our architecture program,” said Dr. Angelica Fuentes, AVP of Workforce Training and Continuing Education at TSC. “We want to create more opportunities like this in which TSC students and future Scorpions can engage with professionals working in the field, as well as ensure that what we teach our students is aligned with industry standards.”