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How can I find opportunities in urban planning as a 15-year-old??
How can I find opportunities in urban planning as a 15-year-old?? I want to get a head start and conduct a passion project. However, I'm unsure of my options.
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Karin’s Answer
Hi Maram,
What an interesting career choice! Let's see what we can find.
Finding opportunities for teenagers, especially if they are not yet 16 or 18 tends to be difficult since we are not talking about "openings" that would be advertised. You need to be a bit proactive and call up or visit possibilities.
The first thing that comes to mind is the municipal city planning office:
https://planning.lacity.gov/about/department
Universities have urban planning programs, e.g. UCLA:
https://luskin.ucla.edu/urban-planning
Next would be companies that do this kind of work. I searched for urban planning internship and a couple of places came up:
kimley-horn.com in LA
Arup.com in LA
Stoss.net in LA
kounkuey.org
jacobs.com in LA
These internships are for undergraduate students, i.e. young people who have already a bit of knowledge in the field and can work on a project. But, it gives you names of companies. They might be willing to throw a high-schooler in the mix to work with the undergrad. Or they might be willing to let you job-shadow. So, give them a call. Let them know you would like to do an internship or job shadowing.
You can also get on some job search sites like LinkedIn or Indeed to look for companies that work in this field and call them up.
LinkedIn also gives you the opportunity to find people who work at those companies and start to network. If you can make a contact with an appropriate person at a company they might be able to host you or point you in the right direction. Ask for an informational interview as well as opportunities to intern or job-shadow.
Good luck!
KP
What an interesting career choice! Let's see what we can find.
Finding opportunities for teenagers, especially if they are not yet 16 or 18 tends to be difficult since we are not talking about "openings" that would be advertised. You need to be a bit proactive and call up or visit possibilities.
The first thing that comes to mind is the municipal city planning office:
https://planning.lacity.gov/about/department
Universities have urban planning programs, e.g. UCLA:
https://luskin.ucla.edu/urban-planning
Next would be companies that do this kind of work. I searched for urban planning internship and a couple of places came up:
kimley-horn.com in LA
Arup.com in LA
Stoss.net in LA
kounkuey.org
jacobs.com in LA
These internships are for undergraduate students, i.e. young people who have already a bit of knowledge in the field and can work on a project. But, it gives you names of companies. They might be willing to throw a high-schooler in the mix to work with the undergrad. Or they might be willing to let you job-shadow. So, give them a call. Let them know you would like to do an internship or job shadowing.
You can also get on some job search sites like LinkedIn or Indeed to look for companies that work in this field and call them up.
LinkedIn also gives you the opportunity to find people who work at those companies and start to network. If you can make a contact with an appropriate person at a company they might be able to host you or point you in the right direction. Ask for an informational interview as well as opportunities to intern or job-shadow.
Good luck!
KP
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Maram !
Your goal sounds very exciting and I would like to share some advice on what you could do now to be active in Urban Planning. There are actually some things that you can do at your age that will be a stepping stone and be a wonderful accomplishment for your entry into college for this major.
The first advice I have is to find out who is in charge of extracurriculars at your school and set an appointment to meet with that person. My idea is for you to start an Urban Planning group at your current school at which you and others will take an urban planning issue and do projects. Start out by obtaining an Introduction to Urban Planning text book at your library or by purchasing one and start reading the book. This will both inform and inspire you and give you ideas for the plans for the club/group that you form. Write out a plan for your group to present to the school representative in charge of school clubs and groups. By starting this group, you will be the Director and this will be excellent on your resume and college applications. Your group can meet inside or out of school. I have left a link to a search that lists a lot of activities that are happening in Los Angeles that you can discover and be inspired by for your group or actually participate in if you don't want to form your own group at school.
Another option would be to contact the Girl Scouts (link is below) and become a volunteer leader who develops urban planning oriented projects that you and the members can work on.
Keep in mind that if you shadow or find a mentor who is a professional urban planner, a lot of times they are traveling within the city and their work may be sort of confidential in the respect that they have some conversations with local, state and federal officials that may need to be private. I see that you are eager to actually take a proactive role right now, so if you really want to take the time to screen possible shadowing opportunities, of course go for it, but I think that forming your own group at school or joining an already established organization would work out well and you can stay with it until you graduate which will look good for college application. You sound ready to be hands on and I think you can be inspired by reading a textbook and getting your passion project started.
I have left a link for you below for the L.A. City Planning website so that you can refer to it if needed. There is a lot of useful information there.
I hope that this has been helpful and that you start working soon on that passion project. Best wishes in all you do and for the improvements that you will make through your work !
START AN URBAN PLANNING GROUP AT THE HIGH SCHOOL https://www.quadeducationgroup.com/blog/how-starting-a-club-in-high-school-can-help-you-get-into-college
URBAN PLANNING BOOKS https://urbandesignlab.in/15-best-books-for-urban-planning-and-design/
URBAN PLANNING PROJECTS IN LOS ANGELES https://search.brave.com/search?q=Urban+Planning+projects+for+teenagers+in+Los+Angeles&source=web
GIRL SCOUTS OF GREATER LOS ANGELES https://www.girlscoutsla.org/en/get-involved.html
LOS ANGELES CITY PLANNING https://planning.lacity.gov/
Your goal sounds very exciting and I would like to share some advice on what you could do now to be active in Urban Planning. There are actually some things that you can do at your age that will be a stepping stone and be a wonderful accomplishment for your entry into college for this major.
The first advice I have is to find out who is in charge of extracurriculars at your school and set an appointment to meet with that person. My idea is for you to start an Urban Planning group at your current school at which you and others will take an urban planning issue and do projects. Start out by obtaining an Introduction to Urban Planning text book at your library or by purchasing one and start reading the book. This will both inform and inspire you and give you ideas for the plans for the club/group that you form. Write out a plan for your group to present to the school representative in charge of school clubs and groups. By starting this group, you will be the Director and this will be excellent on your resume and college applications. Your group can meet inside or out of school. I have left a link to a search that lists a lot of activities that are happening in Los Angeles that you can discover and be inspired by for your group or actually participate in if you don't want to form your own group at school.
Another option would be to contact the Girl Scouts (link is below) and become a volunteer leader who develops urban planning oriented projects that you and the members can work on.
Keep in mind that if you shadow or find a mentor who is a professional urban planner, a lot of times they are traveling within the city and their work may be sort of confidential in the respect that they have some conversations with local, state and federal officials that may need to be private. I see that you are eager to actually take a proactive role right now, so if you really want to take the time to screen possible shadowing opportunities, of course go for it, but I think that forming your own group at school or joining an already established organization would work out well and you can stay with it until you graduate which will look good for college application. You sound ready to be hands on and I think you can be inspired by reading a textbook and getting your passion project started.
I have left a link for you below for the L.A. City Planning website so that you can refer to it if needed. There is a lot of useful information there.
I hope that this has been helpful and that you start working soon on that passion project. Best wishes in all you do and for the improvements that you will make through your work !
Michelle recommends the following next steps:
Houcine Lakhchach
Career Development Specialist | U.S Department exchange Alumnus | EFL/ESL trainer | Program manager
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Answers
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Houcine’s Answer
Hello Maram,
To find opportunities in urban planning as a 15-year-old, you can start by exploring online courses, workshops, and educational programs that focus on urban planning. Engage with local community organizations or city planning departments to volunteer or intern in related projects. Connect with professionals in the field for informational interviews or mentorship opportunities. Attend local events, conferences, and webinars to network with experts and stay informed about current trends. Read books, articles, and blogs about urban planning to deepen your understanding. Create your own passion project by addressing a specific urban planning issue in your community. Use online platforms like LinkedIn to connect with professionals and join relevant groups or forums. Additionally, check for local government initiatives or programs encouraging youth involvement in urban planning or community development.
Best regards,
Houcine
To find opportunities in urban planning as a 15-year-old, you can start by exploring online courses, workshops, and educational programs that focus on urban planning. Engage with local community organizations or city planning departments to volunteer or intern in related projects. Connect with professionals in the field for informational interviews or mentorship opportunities. Attend local events, conferences, and webinars to network with experts and stay informed about current trends. Read books, articles, and blogs about urban planning to deepen your understanding. Create your own passion project by addressing a specific urban planning issue in your community. Use online platforms like LinkedIn to connect with professionals and join relevant groups or forums. Additionally, check for local government initiatives or programs encouraging youth involvement in urban planning or community development.
Best regards,
Houcine