YBB Featured Program: Designery Fenway
Named for its focus on architecture and design, our Designery program has historically been geared towards high school students who want an enriching afterschool or summer experience. But over the past year, YBB has been piloting an additional model through which seniors from Fenway High School have been earning school credit by participating in the program during school hours. As the school year winds down, Designery Fenway students are preparing for the last phase of their Designery in-school experience: placement with a local design firm or construction company.
“I’m excited that the students will have this opportunity to apply what they’ve been learning in the real world. Even if they don’t go on to become Architects, they have all found a love for design that they can apply to other careers as well.”
So far the in-school program model has been highly successful, with a majority of students remaining motivated and expressing great passion about their projects. A number of students and Fenway staff have even commented on how the program has helped them stay engaged in school through the pandemic by giving them school work that inspires them to keep showing up to the virtual classroom.
Designery Fenway student Abdi Bile photographs his hand-built camera for use in his portfolio.
“Choosing a project that I’m really interested in helps me push myself to keep working on it and keep improving.”
The students have been earning stipends while honing fundamental skills in visual, graphic, modeling, and design-thinking. But perhaps the biggest takeaway for these students has been leadership in community improvement through a research project on a topic of their choice.
“I enjoyed learning about the destructive practices of redlining and gentrification in Boston throughout history, the long lasting after effects on the citizens of the city, and how to deal with them to help impact and improve our communities in positive ways. ”
Designery Fenway student Josh Prescott works in the Designery studio to build a functioning camera out of cardboard.
We are so proud of each of these students and the progress they’ve made in the program. We can’t wait to see what they are able to achieve in their summer internships and beyond. YBB extends our warmest congratulations to these soon-to-be graduates and we wish them all the best as they continue to develop their passions and improve their communities.