YouthBuild Boston’s Designery Program is a hands-on, design education program for high school students in the city of Boston. Students acquire and develop fundamental graphic, modeling, design-thinking, and science and technology skills.

Founded in 2008 as an after-school program, YouthBuild Boston’s Designery is focused on enriching the industry with diversity to include more women and people of color by increasing access to the profession for young people. This program educates the teen population on architecture and design, while also equipping students with fundamental technical skillsets to flourish within the profession should they choose to continue pursuing the practice in college and beyond.

Now in its 14th year, The Designery Program has expanded its reach and is a well-rounded, holistic program – offering in-school electives at Fenway High School and Boston Latin Academy, two after-school program sessions and a summer learning program for fifteen teenage students. Designery students participate in career exploration and gain transferable skills and experiences that will help to prepare them for a career in a variety of fields, especially those related to Architecture and Design.

Under the direction of YouthBuild Boston’s Project Manager, Danyson Tavares, the Designery Program is providing teenage students with a better understanding of how to serve and impact their own communities through design that is inclusive for all. For the Spring of 2022, students are focused on the idea of design for play. This includes a series of projects exploring their imaginative approach to design. The final project will consist of designing a playscape for a community partner which provides students with an understanding of site analysis, design process, and working with a client and the community. Along with the community project, the Designery has also launched exciting initiatives which include visiting three design firms in Boston, six software workshops and a conversation series led by designers, architects, urban planners and community activists.

Please take a moment to review the below video which highlights how we are teaching our Designery students to serve others with the needs of the community at the forefront.