WAYNESBORO, Pa. – Alexander Hamilton Memorial Free Library is one of 42 locations this week to host the American Institute of Architects Pennsylvania architecture program for Arch Week. Jennifer A. Greenlee of Newcomer Associates, Chambersburg, was featured at the library’s session April 14.
The program celebrates design excellence across the Commonwealth while planting seeds for the future of the profession, according to a press release from Rob Lesher, the Pennsylvania Forward program manager for the Pennsylvania Library Association.
The observance includes a curated display at the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building celebrating award winning design in Pennsylvania that featured physical models and posters from award-winning projects. A press conference April 13 announced proclamations from the governor’s office and the Pennsylvania Senate, Lesher said.
The press conference also served as the formal launch of the Stories & Design program, bringing statewide attention to AIA Pennsylvania’s commitment to building the next generation of architects. The initiative is designed to bring the field of architecture directly to students through community libraries and school settings.
The program centers on architect volunteers across Pennsylvania hosting story hours featuring “Iggy Peck, Architect,” by Andrea Beaty, a children’s book that introduces young readers to the joy of designing and building, Lesher noted. Following the reading, students engage in a hands-on design challenge, in which participants “think like architects” to design places to live, work or play for different animals, an entry point into design problem-solving.
To date, AIA Pennsylvania has confirmed 42 story hours in 22 counties across the state, with additional events expected to be confirmed before Architecture Week, according to Lesher. “This breadth of reach reflects the association’s commitment to engaging students in every corner of the state,” he added.
To ensure the Stories & Design program reaches students in every region of the Commonwealth, AIA PA partnered with the Pennsylvania Library Association to distribute program information to public libraries statewide. “This collaboration leverages PaLA’s established network and its ongoing PA Forward initiative — a literacy-focused effort that aligns closely with the educational mission of Stories & Design,” Lesher said.
Founded in 1901, the Pennsylvania Library Association is the state’s oldest and most diverse professional library organization serving libraries, library employees, library trustees and Friends of the Library groups, he noted. PaLA represents more than 1,300 personal, institutional, and commercial members affiliated with public, academic, special, and school libraries throughout the commonwealth. PA Forward, an initiative of the Pennsylvania Library Association, launched statewide in 2012, works through five key literacies – basic, information, civic and social, health and financial – to assist individuals in enhancing their overall quality of life, Lesher said.
“Together, these Architecture Week initiatives reflect AIA Pennsylvania’s mission to celebrate the built environment, elevate the profession, and invest in its future. From the halls of the State Capitol to public libraries in every county, Architecture Week 2026 demonstrates the association’s reach, ambition, and commitment to Pennsylvania’s communities,” added Lesher.
“Our goal is to give Pennsylvania the strongest pipeline of future architects in the nation,” said Stephen Swarney, EVP/CEO of AIA PA. “Architecture Week is our opportunity to show the public — from legislators to the youngest students — what this profession means and what it can be.”
