A few weeks ago I planned this Spring 2022 newsletter to be themed with renewal and reemergence after another round of Covid-19 uncertainty and gray skies. Thank goodness we can still look forward to those positive changes but the pall of the devastation in Ukraine is omnipresent. So, what can we about it?

To address this and other humanitarian crises around the globe please consider donating resources to the organizations listed at this link. They have been vetted by the American Society of Association Executives™ (ASAE) and are aiding and providing some relief to people in Ukraine and beyond. Time and talent, finances, and food, all is needed.

We can also reach out to our AIAS and Emerging Professional members and facilitate dialogue that focuses on a common mission of safe, equitable and – in this case – emergency shelter. I have heard from academic leaders and adoptive parents who are guiding our younger peers through mixed emotions of shock, embarrassment, and even guilt over their country of origin. We’ve seen this before during tragic events of international crises and racial injustices. We cannot design away tragedy but we can channel angst and anger into meaningful solutions to stabilize and secure the lives of millions of displaced refugees. Read more.

Best Regards,

Cindy Pozolo, FAIA

AIA Flint has a lot of exciting events this year and we wanted to let you know about them!

Each year, since 2019, AIA Flint has put out a drawing Competition for kids in our 3 counties to participate in. The winners receive a course of their choosing at the Flint Institute of Arts. Last year was our 3rd Annual Kid Architect Competition, Design your Own Tree House and we had a great turnout of drawing submittals! We gave 1 winner from each age group a class valued up to $350, and 9 runner-ups a day course. We also awarded 7 classrooms that had all of their students submit drawings with STEAM classroom supplies. We were able to give out so many prizes last year because we won a grant through our millage funds in Genesee County and the Greater Flint Arts Council.

This year we have yet to decide on a prompt for the competition, so far we have used, Design Your Dream Home, Design Your Dream Park (with an emphasis on landscape design learning, and Design Your Own Tree House. We even did a blanket fort competition over our Facebook page when we first started quarantine, the 2 winners of that got a

fort-making kit delivered to their house. This competition is so fun and simple! There is so much room for expansion into teaching kids more about architecture through these fun competitions. Judging them is a very tough but

hilarious job as well. Read more.