IIDA, the International Interior Design Association, announced the expansion of its Design Your World (DYW) education pipeline program. With support from Black Architects in the Making (BAM) and the IIDA South Florida chapter (IIDA SFC), the program will debut in Miami on June 14 and run through July 8, 2022. In conjunction, the Chicago DYW program will return for its second session, which will run during the summer of 2022.

This launch, as well as the return to Chicago for the second year, supports the program’s nationwide trajectory and goal to support individual chapters and regions with unique resources. It also positions design as a viable career option for a diverse group of high school students and emerging professionals through its curriculum.  

“The vibrancy of a multi-cultural city, its energy as a design capital, and a serious dedication to the power of education, all contribute to making Miami the ideal location for the next iteration of this program, and we are honored to join forces with BAM and IIDA SFC to expand the scope and reach of Design Your World,” said IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA. “Design is such a powerful catalyst for change and for demonstrating human potential. Through DYW, a diverse group of students will be empowered to fully realize that careers in design and the creative arts offer unlimited potential. Perhaps most importantly, they will realize—through a curriculum and instructors that represent them—that design is truly ‘accessible’, meaningful and relevant in their lives.” 

Under the instruction of Ze Haus Interior Design Studio Creative Director, Kenzie Leon Perry, 15 t 20 high school students based in South Florida will be selected to participate in the four-week Design Your World Miami program, where they will gain insight into design and architecture as a profession through initiatives such as material selection, color theory, and space plan creation, while also working with various types of design firms and industry sectors.