Building Futures  Scholarship

AIA Pennsylvania is proud to fund registration and travel for the annual NOMA Conference.

Do you know a high school student who is enthusiastic about architecture, design, or leadership? The Building Futures Scholarship offers an exciting opportunity for passionate students to broaden their horizons, connect with industry leaders, experience networking, attend professional workshops and gain exposure to career pathways in the architecture profession.

2025 Application Deadline is August 11th | APPLY TODAY
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Award

The Building Futures Scholarship is a new scholarship opportunity that will sponsor four outstanding Project Pipeline students (two from NOMA Pittsburgh and two from PhilaNOMA), to attend the prestigious 2025 NOMA National Conference in Kansas City, taking place from October 8 to 12, 2025. Each selected student is required to travel alongside a parent or guardian.

Why did AIA PA EDI Committee Create the Scholarship:

  • Empower students: Offer the students exposure to architecture and design professionals through the conference and shadowing opportunities.
  • Strengthen Connections: Build long-term mentorship opportunities by pairing students with architects at the conference.
  • Increase representation: Encourage diverse representation by advancing the pipeline for underrepresented students.

What is included:

Each recipient will receive up to $2,650.00 in funding, which can be used to cover key conference expenses (with receipts), such as:

  • Conference Registration
  • Airfare and Ground Transportation
  • Hotel Accommodations
  • Meals and Incidentals per stipend allowances
  • Travel Insurance

Timeline

Application period: June 2025 - August 2025
Recipient notification:  Early September
Recipient announcement & takeaways: Late October 

Eligibility

  • Be a high school junior or senior with good academic standing (minimum GPA of 2.75)
  • Be an active participant in the Project Pipeline program.
  • Be available to attend the conference and have a parent or guardian available to accompany the student through the duration of the conference and all travel.

Application

Applicants are required submit the following information:

  • Student Essay of 500 - 700 words responding to one of the essay prompts: 
    • What makes you interested in Architecture? 
    • Describe previous community or volunteer experiences and the skills you developed. 
    • Why do you want to attend the NOMA National Conference, and how do you see this experience supporting your goals in architecture, design, or leadership? 
  • One letter of recommendation (teacher, mentor, or advisor) 
  • Most recent school transcript
  • Signed Liability Waiver and Consent form

Selection

Applications are reviewed by the AIA PA EDI Committee, charged with setting criteria and reviewing the applications to advocate for recipient funding at the board level.

Requirements

Participant Responsibilities | Selected Scholarship recipients must:

  • Take part in a pre-conference orientation call.
  • Attend a student gathering with all scholarship recipients during the conference.
  • Attend a post-conference reflection session.
  • Submit a written summary reflection about their conference experience.
  • Allow AIA Pennsylvania to follow up on their architecture journey status.

Recipients