ASLA DIVERSITY SUMMIT 2015
NOW
/ BSLA
ASLA DIVERSITY SUMMIT 2015
CAROLINA CARVAJAL , ASLA
Photo Credit : Epnac . com
I was one of 12 landscape architecture emerging professionals from across the country selected to participate in year three of the American Society of Landscape Architects ( ASLA ) 2015 Diversity Summit held in the ASLA Headquarters in Washington , DC . Having participated last year , I was eager to return to capitalize on the success of previous summits and move forward with concrete action items discussed in both years one and two .
According to the Census Bureau projections , the minority population ( now 37 % of the general population ) will more than double by 2060 . Knowing that the face of the nation is changing dramatically , ASLA has put an emphasis on increasing the diversity within the profession . According to estimates by the U . S . Bureau of Labor , there are about 21,600 professional landscape architects , and the demographics within our profession do not match the racial and ethnic demographics of the country . For example , only 4 % of landscape architecture students that will be entering the workforce are Hispanic and only 1 % African-American .
To achieve the ASLA diversity goals , participants concentrated on continuing to focus on the same three priorities :
• General public awareness ( creating an emphasis on minority parents ),
• Early exposure to the profession , and
• Mentorship , with special focus on implementing the group ’ s mentorship model to introduce students in grades K-12 to the profession .
The summit employed facilitated group brainstorming and participants developed a series of conceptual toolkits and curriculums that could be used to raise awareness in minority communities and to provide early exposure to the profession for students , parents , teachers , and communities . We also worked on a preliminary structure and business plan for the mentoring program . This year , we focused on how to engage landscape architects at all stages during their career . Moving forward , ASLA and their staff will work to refine and further develop the program and potentially release it as a pilot program .
At the next ASLA Diversity Summit in 2016 , six new participants will join to review the progress and will continue to work on the programs already developed .
If you are interested in learning more about the Diversity Summit within the ASLA , please contact me at ccarvajal @ crja . com .
Carolina Carvajal , ASLA , a native of Colombia , is an honors graduate of Landscape Architecture from University of Connecticut . She is fl uent in Spanish and English and conversant in Portuguese . Carolina joined CRJA-IBI Group ’ s Boston offi ce in 2011 , and has been a key team member on projects in the U . S . and abroad . She has developed a particular expertise in community outreach and engagement , often calling upon her multi-lingual skills .
@ ASLA Annual Meeting
Paths to Diversity : A Cross-Generational Exploration Friday , November 06 -8:30 AM - 10:00 AM 1.5 PDH , LA CES / non-HSW , AICP , FL The U . S Census Bureau predicts that by 2043 , America will become a minority majority nation . Yet as we move towards that transition , the profi le of the landscape architecture profession has remained static for years . Panelists will share their personal paths while providing advice on recruiting and retaining minority professionals .
Boston Society of Landscape Architects Fieldbook
63