Urban planning, taught by high schoolers

An Urban Systems initiative

High school volunteers visit elementary classrooms in Bend with their friends, teach a short urban planning lesson, and bring the class's ideas back to real city planning projects.

How a visit works

Low time, done with friends.

  1. 01Pick your groupGo with your own friends. You can ask for a sibling's classroom.
  2. 02Get a short briefing10 to 15 minutes before each visit. Your Group Lead brings everyone.
  3. 03Teach one classLeave school for the visit and run a short lesson and activity with elementary students.
  4. 04Bring the ideas backWhat the class says feeds into real city planning projects.
  5. 05Hang out afterA thank-you hangout for everyone who visited.

For volunteers

Community service hours, something real for your résumé, and a day out of class.

  • LeadGroup LeadCoordinates their own friend group: brings them to the briefing, then presents with them.
  • JoinVolunteerJoins a Group Lead's group for one or more visits.
Ready to bring your friends? express interest

For schools and teachers

A small group of high schoolers runs a short urban planning lesson and activity in your classroom. Your students' ideas go into real planning projects in Bend.

Want a visit in your classroom? request a visit

About

Urban Education for Youth is a program of Urban Systems, an urban research organization dedicated to developing integral systems to make the urban planning process more efficient.