Justice, EQUITY, DIVERSITY and INCLUSION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
We created the SmithGroup Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) Scholarship Program to create a more diverse and inclusive design industry by providing students with opportunities to pursue their academic and professional goals. We are committed to expanding the pipeline of the next generation of design talent and improving the built environment by better representing the communities we serve with design.
This scholarship program directly addresses barriers to success for future professionals by providing tuition assistance and professional opportunities to students who are committed to advancing diversity and inclusion in the design industry. The support and mentorship built into our J.E.D.I. Scholarship helps future designers further their education and professional development.
SmithGroup Awards 2024 Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Scholarships
"Our J.E.D.I. Scholarship is one means of helping to cultivate a more just and equitable design industry by cultivating a more inclusive pipeline of future design talent," says Troy Thompson, a managing partner for the firm. "Our scholarship programs, including the J.E.D.I. Scholarship, are each designed to offer real-work experience, foster mentoring relationships with professionals, and provide tuition support to help young designers launch successful professional careers."
The SmithGroup J.E.D.I. Scholarship provides students with opportunities to pursue their academic and professional goals while expanding the pipeline of design talent and improving the built environment.
APPLICATION PROCESS
The 2025 application for the SmithGroup J.E.D.I. Scholarship is now closed. The 2026 application will open in the fall of 2025. For questions about the SmithGroup J.E.D.I. Scholarship program, please submit an email to scholarships [at] smithgroup.comrel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank".
THE INTERN EXPERIENCE
The Voice of Interns: Building a More Inclusive Industry
What does it take to evolve the design industry so that we can design a better future for all? Our 2021 intern class shares their insights and experiences on how EDI plays a crucial role in addressing the challenges of tomorrow.
PAST RECIPIENTS
J.E.D.I. AT SMITHGROUP
Working to Design a Better Future for All
Often used interchangeably, equity, diversity and inclusion are not synonyms. Each has a different meaning, and each plays a unique yet interrelated role in shaping our design culture and outcomes for a better future together.
HOW WE WORK
Our integrated design process emphasizes multi-disciplinary contributions and weaves together complex inputs into an elegant whole. Our tenacious creativity empowers us and our clients to Design a Better Future.
LEADING THE CONVERSATION
Designing for Justice and Decarbonization in Allensworth, CA
As part of the interdisciplinary team that won the Architecture at Zero 2023 competition, we were inspired by the design challenge it posed. The prompt for this year’s competition was to design an agricultural center and housing for farm students in historic Allensworth, California, located north of Bakersfield. Established by Colonel Allen Allensworth in 1908, the town was the first in California to be founded, financed and governed by African Americans. While this agricultural community initially thrived, racially motivated decisions to relocate the rail line and divert regional water supplies led to a century of environmental hardships and economic struggles that are being redressed.
