Youth art exchange Scholarship

YAX’s constituency is San Francisco public high school students. Youth from any SFUSD high schools can join, representing over a dozen schools citywide. The majority come from the OMI/Excelsior neighborhoods, with 6 different first languages, and diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds: 26% Latinx, 36% Asian American, 8% Black, 16% multiracial, and 14% white youth. Most (over 80%) qualify for free/reduced lunch. Approximately 15% of youth identify as LGBTQ, and there are approximately 58% Female and 42% Male identifying participants.

YAX’s young architects work on real-world projects from concept to construction, working with clients, community organizations, architects, and city agencies. Structured on real world project-based learning activities, youth gain architecture and construction skills as they learn how they can positively shape the built urban environment. These young architects have designed and built substantial public projects in San Francisco including the first two youth designed and built parklets, a Civic Center Living Innovation Zone, and temporary interactive installations.

Organization of Women Architects and Design Professionals and Youth Art Exchange are partnering to support graduating high school seniors from YAX architecture and visual arts programs to advance their study of architecture and design related fields in higher education. YAX sparks a shared creative practice between professional artists and public high school students, furthering youth as leaders, thinkers, and artists in San Francisco. The Organization of Women Architects and Design Professionals supports and promotes women in design-related fields in all phases of their professional lives.

OWA will award scholarships to female-identifying YAX college-bound high school seniors based on demonstrated artistic and academic achievement, financial need, and an express interest in pursuing an education in architecture and visual art design related fields. The students eligible for assistance must be graduating public high school seniors who are present or former Youth Art Exchange students and intend to continue their education at a four-year college or university. Consideration will be given to artistic and academic achievement and financial need.

Scholarships will be awarded on an annual basis in August. Students must continue to attend classes and maintain no lower than a 3.0 grade-point average (or equivalent).

In the 2018, OWA-DP generously provided a $1,000 scholarship to one student who submits a 500 word essay on the importance of women in architecture or other design-related fields and 3 work samples of their architecture or design projects and complete a brief application with demographic information.

From all the submission OWA received this year, Steering Committee has chosen Naomi Hawksley based on her great resume. The award ceremony will be on May 16th. Helen Vasquez from OWA steering committee is going to be in the ceremony to present the award to Naomi.