Using Our Voices: Young Girls in Architecture
In 2022, nine third-grade girls at Laurel Dell Elementary School in San Rafael embarked on a three-year journey in architecture and planning with mentors from UC Berkeley’s Y-PLAN and Youth in Arts. Through hands-on projects that explored affordable housing, pathways to college, and responses to climate change and sea level rise, students learned to see design as a means to envision better futures for their community. Inspired by architect Patricia Alarcón, featured in Latinas and Allies in Architecture, they wrote their own book, Young Girls in Architecture, reflecting on their growth as young designers and leaders. In 2025, the whole class was selected to receive an achievement award from the Marin Conservation League, sharing their vision for a joyful and resilient San Rafael.