For two decades, Architects in the Making (AIM) has introduced young people to a world they experience every day, often without realizing it: the world of architecture and the built environment.
This summer, that experience found a new home at the Florida International University School of Architecture.
From June 15 through June 26, AIM Summer Camp celebrated its 20th anniversary at FIU, welcoming some 60 students ages 8 to 18 for two weeks of hands-on exploration, creative problem-solving, and architectural discovery. Organized by the Miami Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Miami) in partnership with the FIU School of Architecture, the program introduces K-12 students to architecture and design through studio projects, mentorship, presentations, field experiences, and direct interaction with professionals.
Founded in 2006, AIM has spent 20 years helping young people explore architecture and design while creating opportunities for mentorship and exposure to the profession.
A New Home for AIM
According to Craig Aquart, AIA, Managing Principal of the architecture firm MC Harry and Associates and Chair of the AIM Camp, hosting the program at the FIU School of Architecture was met with enthusiasm from both students and families.
“FIU welcomed us and embraced us with open arms, which we were really very grateful for,” Aquart said. “The kids and the parents really enjoyed the atmosphere at FIU.”
The experience left a lasting impression on AIM’s organizers, who hope to continue building their relationship with FIU in the years ahead.
“We would definitely like to continue having the summer program at FIU,” Aquart said.
The partnership reflects a shared investment in introducing young people to architecture and creating opportunities for the next generation to explore the field. AIM’s 2026 program brought its mission to FIU’s classrooms and studios, transforming the School of Architecture into a place of discovery for students who may one day return as architecture and design students themselves.
Twenty Years of Planting the Seed
AIM began approximately 20 years ago as an outreach initiative designed to introduce students in the Miami community to architecture well before they reach college. Over time, the program has grown into a collaborative effort supported by architects, educators, student counselors, volunteers, parents, and industry sponsors.
The planning process begins months before campers arrive. Organizers begin preparing early in the year, determining dates, budgets, and lessons learned from previous sessions. Professional architects and designers are recruited as lead counselors for the program’s four studios, followed by additional counselors, many of whom are students from schools of architecture and design.
That sense of continuity has become one of the program’s defining strengths. Some AIM Camp participants have gone on to pursue architecture and later returned as counselors and volunteers.
“Over the years, we have had student participants who then go off to schools of architecture, and they come back and assist as counselors and volunteers of the program,” Craig said.
The program’s longevity is also made possible through the support of its sponsors and the dedication of its counselors, many of whom return year after year to share their knowledge and experience with a new generation of students.
Designing Through Time
This year’s theme, Design Through Time, encouraged campers to explore the relationship among architecture, history, culture, and the evolving needs of communities.
Students were divided into four studios based primarily on age, allowing counselors to tailor projects and instruction to different stages of learning. The youngest campers explored architectural concepts differently than high school students, with each group producing drawings, sketches, photographs, and models appropriate to their level of experience.
While the studios worked independently throughout much of the day, the entire camp came together each morning to learn from architects, interior designers, preservationists, and other professionals.
The experience extended beyond the classroom as well. On June 17, campers visited Miami’s historic Freedom Tower, while a June 24 Sandblast Competition at Crandon Park challenged students to apply creativity, collaboration and design thinking in an outdoor setting.
The program concluded with a final exhibition showcasing the work created across all four studios. Families and friends gathered to celebrate the students’ projects and achievements, with each participant receiving a certificate of completion.
Seeing Architecture as a Possibility
At its core, AIM is designed to help young people recognize architecture as something more than the buildings that surround them.
“Architecture is extremely important in our society,” Craig said. “But yet, it operates so seamlessly that children oftentimes don’t even realize that architecture surrounds them.”
Every day, people live, learn, work, and play in spaces shaped by architects and design professionals. AIM helps students begin to recognize the impact of those spaces while introducing them to the people and professions responsible for creating them.
“The built environment surrounds them and therefore influences the way in which they work, learn, play and live,” Craig explained.
For many participants, the two-week experience may be their first exposure to architecture as a potential career path.
“That immersion within that two-week period opens their eyes to the possibility of being an architect,” Craig said. “And that’s what we do.”
The program’s mission aligns closely with AIM’s stated goal of inspiring young minds and planting a seed through architecture and design.
Expanding Access to the Profession
AIM’s commitment to introducing more young people to architecture also includes its collaboration with Black Architects in the Making (BAM), an initiative focused on increasing awareness of architecture and encouraging more Black students to consider the profession.
Through the partnership, AIA Miami and AIM provide more than 15 annual scholarships for BAM students to attend the summer camp.
By expanding access to architectural education and mentorship, the programs are helping create pathways for students who may not otherwise have had an opportunity to explore the profession.
Looking Toward the Next 20 Years
As AIM celebrated its 20th anniversary, the milestone offered an opportunity to reflect not only on the program’s history, but also on the community of people who have helped sustain it.
From the organizers and sponsors who support the program to the counselors who return each summer and the former campers who come back to mentor the next generation, AIM has become a cycle of exposure, education and mentorship.
For the FIU School of Architecture, hosting the program represents the power of strategic partnerships that extend the impact of architectural education beyond the university’s enrolled students. The collaboration with AIA Miami introduces young people to the creative and collaborative environment of design education while also creating opportunities for FIU students to become counselors, mentors and role models.
As AIM looks toward its 21st summer, the program is also inviting FIU Architecture and Interior Architecture students to become part of its next chapter as counselors and volunteers.
For Craig, the message to parents and students is ultimately about possibility.
For a young person who has never considered architecture as a career, AIM can offer that first introduction, opening a window into a profession that shapes nearly every aspect of the world around us.
After 20 years, Architects in the Making continues to plant that seed. And at the FIU School of Architecture, the next generation of architects and designers now has another place where those possibilities can begin to take shape.
