2026 Architects in Schools Student Exhibitions
You are invited to celebrate the hard work of our 2025-26 Architects in Schools 3rd-5th grade students across Oregon! Our public exhibitions are our culminating events of the season, where participating students exhibit the work they have completed during their Architects in Schools residencies.
This Architects in Schools season was another huge success, reaching thousands of students across the state of Oregon. Over 150 design and building professionals have spent over 3,000 volunteer hours in classrooms this year, educating students on the built environment and the process of designing and building communities. Learn more about Architects in Schools (AiS).
2026 Exhibition Locations
Friday, May 1 – Bend
5:30-8:00pm
Tower Encore Community Event Space
834 NW Brooks St, Bend, OR 97703
Thursday, May 7 – Downtown Portland
5:30-7:30pm
DLR Group, 110 SW Yamhill St, Suite 105, Portland, 97204
BRIC Architecture, 1233 NW Northrup St, Portland, 97209
Saturday, May 16 – OMSI
11:00am-5:00pm
OMSI – Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
1945 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Thursday, May 21 – Opsis Architecture
5:30-7:30pm
Opsis Architecture
975 SE Main St, Portland, OR 97214
Saturday, May 30 – Gordon House
4:00-6:00pm
Frank Lloyd Wright Gordon House
869 W Main St, Silverton, OR 97381
Saturday, June 6 – Eugene
1:00-3:00pm
Eugene Public Library
100 W 10th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401
AFO recruits professionals from the building community (architects, engineers, contractors, and more) and matches them with 3rd-5th grade* Oregon teachers in their geographic area. Together, they choose lessons from our curriculum guide and create a unique and engaging experience that introduces students to the basic principles of design. AiS is offered free of charge to schools.
AFO provides a training workshop, staff support, public exhibition of final projects and a copy of Architecture as a Basic Curriculum Builder which includes:
- Simple drawing techniques that quickly improves students’ abilities and their confidence
- A pictorial survey of architectural periods and styles that coincide with studies of NW Native Americans, Pioneers, Victorians and several distinct periods in the 20th century
- Lessons for measuring and designing floor plans
- Structured activities around questions, like: “What makes structures stand up?” “What will cities look like 25 years from now?” and “What is green building?”
- And much more!
Program Timeline
*AiS is designed primarily for 3rd-5th grades, but has been successful in younger grades and is also available to middle school classes. Please contact Kim Knowles, Director of Education Programs for more information.
Want to help bring AiS exhibits to life?
Sign up to volunteer in Bend
Sign up to volunteer in Portland
2025-26 Participants
Participating Schools
Participating Design & Building Professionals
Complete our survey to help shape design programming for K-12 youth!
Architects in Schools Summer Camp
Join us June 22-26, 2026, for our annual Architects in Schools Summer Camp! The virtual camp is designed for youth ages 8-12. Register by 5pm PT on June 12 to participate.
CAMP THEME:
This year’s camp theme is Small Changes = BIG IMPACT, Designing Sustainable and Resilient Communities. What are small things that you can do in your community to make it more sustainable and resilient? Let’s explore together! Camp participants will learn about ways they can use design to support some of our smallest community members – birds and bugs! Students will be introduced to technical architecture practices such as drawing, planning, model making, and more. By implementing the design process, they will make small changes in their community that create a BIG impact!
Learn More & Register
Questions?
Contact:
Kim Ruthardt Knowles
Director of Education Programs
kim@af-oregon.org
503-317-7537
Candice Agahan
Director of Community Engagement
candice@af-oregon.org
503-542-3823
Sam Majors
Community Outreach Manager
sam@af-oregon.org
971-357-3178