During World Landscape Architecture Month, ASLA invites its members to Introduce a Girl to Landscape Architecture.

An assortment of Career Discovery and Diversity (CD&D) outreach resources are available for member use and can be accessed at Tools for PreK-12 Teachers.

New to the CD&D: STEM Literacy by Design

STEM Literacy by Design is designed to spark “Girl Power” and Introduce a Girl to Landscape Architecture during World Landscape Architecture Month and beyond.

Intended for elementary school girls, STEM Literacy by Design will encourage young girls to explore science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in landscape architecture using fun, poetic, and colorful children’s books about adventurous girls who find their passion, courage, and "girl power" in the great outdoors. All books were written and published by ASLA members.

ASLA Chapters Kick-Off STEM Literacy by Design

ASLA chapters across the country have signed up to host story time readings followed by a design charrette that incorporates design themes, STEM concepts, and picture vocabulary found in each book.

The first ten chapter leaders who signed up received a toolkit filled with resources and giveaways to make their event extra special for participating students. The toolkit will help chapters design, plan, and implement a unique STEM-centered design project with their local elementary school.

Congratulations to the following ASLA chapters:

• Boston Chapter
• Connecticut Chapter
• Dallas/Fort Worth Section/Texas Chapter
• Michigan Chapter
• Middle Georgia Section/Chapter
• Nebraska Dakotas Chapter
• New York Upstate Chapter
• Northern California Chapter
• Potomac Chapter
• Vermont Chapter

If your ASLA Chapter would like to participate in STEM Literacy by Design and receive a free starter-kit of books, learn more and sign up here by April 22.

Another featured resource available for middle and high school students includes Virtual Career Day recordings with award-winning landscape architects Patricia Algara, ASLA, founding principal of BASE Landscape Architecture, avid beekeeper and Founder of With Honey in The Heart; along with Ujijji Davis, ASLA, Founder of JIMA (jee-mah) Studio.

Just like in-person Career Day presentations, students will hear from dynamic landscape architects who love their careers and have amazing hobbies. Ujijji and Patricia discuss their journey to discover landscape architecture, their jobs, explorations in STEM, and careers in design.

Ujijji Davis, ASLA

Ujijji Davis, ASLA

Ujijji Davis Williams is a practicing landscape architect and urban planner who focuses on landscape and urban design, cultural landscapes and planning process. She is the founder of JIMA (jee-mah) Studio, a landscape architectural design and urban planning studio that collaborates with community groups, organizations and builders committed to culturally relevant placemaking and strategic implementation that centralize participatory design methods to provide full site design and planning services, from idea to implementation.

She was recently honored as a Notable Alumni by Cornell University's Department of Landscape Architecture and as 2023 Outstanding Recent Alumni from the University of Michigan's Taubman College. She is also the recipient of the 2020 Michigan ASLA Emerging Professionals Award. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Cornell University, and a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan. She’s originally from Brooklyn.

Patricia Algara, ASLA

Patricia Algara, ASLA

Patricia Algara, granddaughter of an architect and rancher, grew up in San Luis Potosi, Central Mexico. From this springs her passion and appreciation for beautifully designed and food-productive landscapes.

After working for a women’s rights organization on community empowerment projects, she earned a Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture in order to bring together participation and the built environment. Along with her public outreach, facilitation and graphic recording skills, Patricia has worked on projects ranging from learning environments, to urban parks, schools, zoos, farms and streetscapes.

Patricia teaches “Designing for Difference” at UC Berkeley and UC Berkeley Extension which focuses on social factors that influence the design of public spaces. Patricia’s design, outreach, and leadership work has been national recognized through a national ASLA award, the 10 Women Campaign and many other organizations and publications. Patricia is an avid beekeeper who strives to apply values that she has learned from the bees in her designs: Beauty, function, structure, and communication can intersect sweetly.

Learn more about ASLA’s Career Discovery and Diversity efforts.

Please direct questions to Lisa J. Jennings, Senior Manager, Career Discovery and Diversity.