TELL YOUR STORY WIN MONEY FOR
COLLEGE $ $ $ $ $ $
Enter by March 20th! Apply today
To enter create a 2-3 minute video.
Tell us:
  • how(where) you are learning this year and
  • how the architecture of your environment affected learning.

FAQs

The environment in which you learn affects your experience.

  • How has the last year prepared you for college or the workforce?
  • What did the way your spaces are designed make possible?
  • Were you able to collaborate with your peers?
  • Did windows or natural light calm you or distract you?
  • Could you hear what was being told or was the room too noisy to work?
  • Was the furniture comfortable to work in?
  • How did the paint colors or flooring colors make you feel?
  • Were you able to focus on your work?
  • Did the room’s layout help you to use technology?
  • Were there any features that allowed you to teach your peers or that allowed you to learn from them?

    • Open to graduating Seniors at the following Illinois schools:

  • Argo Community High School (School District 217)
  • Barrington High School (School District 220)
  • Bartlett High School (School District U-46)
  • Bolingbrook High School (School District 365U)
  • East Aurora High School (School District 131)
  • Elgin High School (School District U-46)
  • Elmwood Park High School (School District 401)
  • Farmington Central High School (School District 265)
  • Harlem High School (School District 122)
  • Harvard High School (School District 50)
  • Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School (SD 233)
  • Hononegah Community High School (School District 207)
  • Kankakee High School (School District 111)
  • Lake Zurich High School (School District 95)
  • Larkin High School (School District U-46)
  • Lemont High School (School District 210)
  • Lincoln-Way Central High School (School District 210)
  • Lincoln-Way East High School (School District 210)
  • Lincoln-Way West High School (School District 210)
  • Lockport Twp. High School (School District 205)
  • Lyons Twp. High School (School District 204)
  • Mendota High School (School District 280)
  • Minooka Community High School - Central Campus (SD 111)
  • Munster High School (School Town of Munster)
  • Newark High School (School District 18)
  • Oak Lawn Community High School (School District 229)
  • Ridgewood High School (School District 234)
  • Riverside Brookfield High School (School District 208)
  • Romeoville High School (School District 365U)
  • South Elgin High School (School District U-46)
  • Streamwood High School (School District U-46)
  • Warren Township High School (School District 121)
  • West Chicago Community High School (School District 94)

    • When the judges sit down to watch the entries submitted by students at a school, they use an app with a list of questions. They assign a score of 0-5 to each question and these are totaled up (along with an automatically weighted score for YouTube views and likes).
    The questions the judges must score on include:

  • Does the student express how they interact with the space(s)?
  • Does the student express how that interaction affected their education/ability to learn?
  • Does the student express how the space makes it possible to make connections to their teachers or classmates for things such as group or teamwork?
  • Does the student discuss their personal experience with the space(s) or demonstrate the role that the architecture plays in their lives?
  • Does the student point out any particular architectural or sustainable design aspects that show they thought about the architecture of the space?
  • Does the student do a good job of focusing their discussion and adequately discussing the space(s)?
  • Does the submission demonstrate creativity and/or ingenuity?
  • Does the submission demonstrate originality and/or uniqueness?
  • Does the student demonstrate an understanding of the built environment and how people interact with it?

    • Some students might score high on creativity, but don’t talk about their own learning so they might not win. Other students might have some great personal stories about learning and the architecture, but their video might just be a slideshow with no sound, and they can still score well.

    The top winner will receive a total of $1,500 and the state runner-up will receive a total of $1,000. Each of the school level winners will be awarded $500. This is because the selection process for the DLA Architects, Ltd. THINK [about architecture] SCHOLARSHIP is multi-tiered.

    Students compete first at the school level. One student from each school listed will receive a one-time cash award of $500 to be applied to tuition and/or books and materials at a college or university.

    Students are also competing at a state level. All $500 recipients will be qualified to compete for this award. One student will be selected as state runner-up, receiving an additional cash award of $500. One student will receive a first-place award of an additional $1,000.

    The award of the DLA Architects, Ltd. THINK [about architecture] SCHOLARSHIP will be presented by a representative of DLA Architects, Ltd. at an appropriate award ceremony, as designated by the high school personnel.

    Applicants

    The DLA Architects, Ltd. THINK [about architecture] SCHOLARSHIP is an opportunity for talented graduating students to demonstrate the role that architecture plays in their lives. The specific purpose of the scholarship is:
    • to promote an understanding of the built environment and how people interact with it, especially schools;
    • to foster a genuine interest in the societal value of architecture as an art form and an enhancement to the general quality of life; and
    • to encourage high school students to pursue higher education, especially in architecture.
    At DLA Architects, we don’t only see the THINK [about architecture] Scholarship as a competition, but also as a learning experience all around. We hope that by participating, students learn to look at the built environment around them and think about why things are done the way they are and how these decisions affect everyone who uses the building or grounds. The social aspect of the competition, we hope, empowers students to get other people to think about architecture, too.
    Candidates participate by submitting a creative video response to show us how they interact with our design and demonstrate what the space makes possible.

    354950

    in Scholarships offered
    since 1997

    338

    Students Awarded
    since 1997

    Past Winners

    Jury comments: "Lauren touched upon the importance of natural lighting and it's effects on productivity and learning. She even conducted a survey!" Lauren Ascolani Lemont High School 2025 - FIRST PLACE

    Jury comments: "We liked how Quin acknowledged the importance of the learning environment being connected to nature ." Quin Holland Mendota High School 2025 - SECOND PLACE

    Jury comments: "Great job comparing learning environments and describing what must be improved to create spaces for students to thrive." Jesus Ferran-Heredia Lincoln-Way Central High School 2024 - STATE FIRST PLACE

    Jury comments: "Enjoyed hearing how students interact with the space." Rayan Lahlou-Nabil Elmwood Park High School 2024 - STATE RUNNER UP

    Jury comments: "loved hearing how the TV studio gave her the hands-on learning experience and inspired Lea's career choice." Lea Ryndak Homewood Flossmoor Community High School 2023 - STATE FIRST PLACE

    Aleksandra Wozniak Argo Community High School 2023 - STATE FIRST PLACE Jury Comments: "great job connecting the learning environment to her experience as a student and love of music."

    Andrea Garcia West Chicago Community High School 2022 - STATE FIRST PLACE Jury Comments: "Nice job explaining how the learning environment has prepared her for future endeavors"

    Elizabeth K. Wojcikowski Homewood Flossmoor Community High School 2022 - STATE RUNNER UP Jury Comments: "good job describing how the new facility enhanced her music education "

    Rachael Lee Lake Zurich High School 2021 - STATE FIRST PLACE Jury Comments: "Outstanding video on the flexibility of this space and the impact it has on learning...especially during a pandemic."

    Rinna Kim Lake Zurich High School 2021 - STATE RUNNER UP Jury Comments: "Great presentation. The only thing I would have liked to hear was 'I learned x because Y' but that closing really made up for it. "

    Allison Brown Lockport High School 2020 - STATE FIRST PLACE Jury Comments: "Allison did a good job connecting the way the students use the different spaces to what it helps them accomplish in terms of learning"

    Abigail Belsan Lemont High School 2020 - STATE RUNNER UP Jury Comments: "Abigail did a great job tying together how she used spaces like the green screen room for her learning and how others have used it for different classes or experiences. Nice tie in mentioning work experience, too."

    Linnea Petropoulos Lake Zurich High School 2019 - STATE FIRST PLACE
    Jury Comments: "Linnea did a nice job explaining how the space allows for collaboration and small group study."

    Michelle Hansen Richards High School 2019 - STATE FIRST PLACE
    Jury Comments: "Great description of the use of space and the impact it has on the students and surrounding community."