Become a Landscape Architect
STEM Literacy by Design - for Early Learners
Outdoor literacy education leverages the natural environment with fun reading adventures that integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics STEM subjects and vocabulary. By engaging with outdoor design through literature, early learners can imagine collaborative ways to interact with their environment. These interactions deepen students’ self-awareness, strengthen community connections, and foster both environmental stewardship and social engagement.
Introduce a Girl to Landscape Architecture
In 2024, National ASLA introduced its first Introduce a Girl to Landscape Architecture initiative as part of its 125th year celebration and during World Landscape Architecture Month.
Intended for elementary school girls, the program encouraged young girls to explore landscape architecture using fun, poetic, and colorful stories about adventurous girls who find their passion, courage, and "girl power" in the great outdoors.
ASLA equipped participating members and chapters with a collection of children's books published ASLA members and giveaways to help facilitate outreach activities with local school groups.

Photo credit: Tom Hand, ASLA Vermont Chapter
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Photo credit: Rose Osambela, ASLA Potomac Chapter

Photo credit: Monica Guillaud, ASLA Indiana Chapter

Photo credit: Laura Bowles, ASLA North Dakota Chapter
STEM Literacy by Design
ASLA's Introduce a Girl to Landscape Architecture initiative quickly grew in popularity among all student groups leading ASLA to scale the program into its STEM Literacy by Design initiative which included an expansion of ASLA's children's book collection and the creation of a Meet the Authors webinar series.
Featured children’s books include:
- A is for Aquifer by Ann English, ASLA
- Emma's Dream Job: Landscape Architecture by Xiao Cui, ASL
- Green Trees and Sam by Shannon Gapp, ASLA, Bolton & Menk
- Monsters Love Native Blooms by Yiwei Huang, ASLA, Chloe Kennedy, ASLA, Kayla Kramer, ASLA, Molly Wimberg, ASLA, Wanting Zhang, ASLA
- Sam The Landscape Architect by Shannon Gapp, ASLA, Bolton & Menk
- Wonderland of Weeds by Yuqi Zhang, ASLA and Xinran Ma, ASLA
To date, more than 30 STEM Literacy by Design events have been held across the country.

Photo credit: Yiwei Huang, Ph.D., SITES AP, ASLA, Indiana Chapter

Photo credit: Yiwei Huang, Ph.D., SITES AP, ASLA, Indiana Chapter
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Photo credit: Richard Asifiri, ASLA New Jersey Chapter

Photo credit: YYiwei Huang, Ph.D., SITES AP, ASLA, Indiana
Meet the Authors
Meet the authors featured in ASLA's STEM Literacy by Design program.
In the News
Helpful Resources for Educators
Introduce a Girl to Landscape Architecture and the STEM Literacy by Design initiatives would not be possible without the support of generous sponsors listed below.
- Anonymous Donor
- Barbara Fles
- Boston, Mass & Maine ASLA
- CA Sierra ASLA
- Confluence, Inc.
- Connecticut ASLA
- Iowa ASLA
- Landscape Forms
- Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc.
- Nathaniel Byro
- Ney Your Upstate ASLA
- Ohio Chapter
- Paige Bernhardt
- Texas ASLA
- Vermont ASLA
- Virginia ASLA
- Wendy Miller
Please direct questions to Lisa J. Jennings, Senior Manager, Career Discovery and Diversity, at ljennings@asla.org