Building the Next Generation: How NWIR NYC Council and IIBEC Metro New York Are Inspiring Young Minds Across New York City

By Aurore Badré, Philanthropic Chair, NWIR NYC Council | Building Science Associate, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE)

Every building in New York City tells a story, and behind every one of those stories is a person who built it, repaired it, or kept it standing. Not just the engineers and architects whose names appear on drawings, but the roofers, waterproofers, masons, and tradespeople whose hands do the work that holds this city together. The construction and restoration industry has always been powered by people who come to it from every direction: some through four-year engineering programs, others through apprenticeships and trade schools, others still by learning on the job and never stopping. What all of them share is a craft, a standard of excellence, and a pride in the built environment that no diploma or credential can fully capture. The question we keep coming back to is this: how do we ensure the next generation sees that this industry is theirs to step into, whether or not college is part of their path?

Over the past year, the National Women in Roofing (NWIR) NYC Council, in partnership with International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC) Metro New York, has organized a series of hands-on educational outreach events hosted by Skyline Restoration, Inc (SRI). These events were designed to introduce students from NYC Public Schools partnering with the Salvadori Center, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing STEAM education into the classroom, to the world of roofing, waterproofing, building restoration, and the broader architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) professions. What began as an idea to connect young people from underserved communities across the five boroughs with the real-world built environment has grown into a recurring and expanding program. As we continue to strengthen our relationship with Salvadori, our bridge to these students, we have had the privilege of helping lead and grow this initiative, and we can say without hesitation that its impact has exceeded every expectation.

How It Started: March 26, 2025

The first event was held on March 26, 2025. We knew we wanted to engage young people, and we knew that Skyline had the expertise and a well-equipped warehouse to host a hands-on workshop. When Salvadori, whose mission is to teach STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts/architecture, math) concepts to K–12 students in under-resourced New York City communities through the lens of the built environment, reached out to see if we could help coordinate a field trip for their students, we knew Skyline was the right partner to make it happen. What we didn't know was how a group of middle schoolers would respond to spending a day with restoration professionals. The answer turned out to be with a lot of enthusiasm.

Students arrived curious and left inspired. Skyline's professionals and volunteers from NWIR and IIBEC walked them through the fundamentals of building enclosures including what they are, why they matter, and what they are made out of. Students were able to see and experience the materials that professionals, ranging from those in the field to those at a computer in an office, work with every day including flashing membranes, mortar mixing, and bricklaying. It was a hands-on experience from start to finish, and after a very successful and meaningful day, one thing was clear, we needed to do it again.

Growing the Program: July 16, 2025

By July, we were back at the Skyline Warehouse, this time with high school students through Salvadori’s Career Connection program. The summer session brought a different energy. High schoolers tend to ask harder questions, and more career-oriented ones. So this iteration added something new: a career panel, where professionals from across the industry, including members of NWIR NYC council and IIBEC Metro New York sat down with students to talk candidly about their paths, what drew them to this field, and what opportunities exist across roofing, building enclosure consulting, architecture, structural engineering, and restoration.

Hearing professionals share their own journeys, including some who came to the field from unexpected places, gave students a realistic and relatable picture of what a career in AEC can actually look like. Particularly for the young women in the room, seeing women engineers, consultants, and industry leaders front and center sent a strong message: this industry is for you, too. That is exactly the message NWIR was built to deliver, and moments like these are why the work matters.

Scaling Up: March 30, 2026

The most ambitious version came on March 30, 2026. For the first time, we ran the program twice in a single day with middle school students in the morning and high school students in the afternoon. It required coordination, energy, and the commitment of volunteers from both NWIR NYC Council and IIBEC Metro New York, but it worked beautifully.

The morning session with the middle schoolers had the same energy we'd seen in 2025: students leaning in, asking questions, handling materials, and starting to see buildings not just as the backgrounds of their lives but as engineered systems that need care, expertise, and attention from a lot of different people. The afternoon session with the high schoolers brought that same enthusiasm. By the end of the day, we had reached twice as many students as in either previous event.

The success of this program comes down to three organizations working toward a shared goal. Salvadori brings decades of experience meeting students where they are, making math, science, and design feel personal, relevant, and achievable. Salvadori has served tens of thousands of New York City students since its founding in 1987, reaching K–12 learners across all five boroughs, primarily in under-resourced schools and communities, through collaborative, hands-on, project-based programs. Their philosophy lines up perfectly with what NWIR and IIBEC are trying to accomplish here: not just teaching content, but changing how young people see themselves in relation to the built world and the professionals who care for it, and empowering the next generation, especially young women, through mentorship and real industry connection.

NWIR NYC Council and IIBEC Metro New York both bring engaged volunteers with technical expertise, a commitment to workforce diversity, and a genuine belief that recruiting the next generation, including young women, into this industry is not optional but essential. Skyline Restoration brings hands-on craftsmanship, site experience, mentorship from the trades side of the industry, and facilities that make the learning feel real.

Three events in, a few things have become clear. Middle school is not too early to start. Students at that age are already forming ideas about what kinds of careers exist and who gets to have them. Getting in front of them before those narratives set is exactly the right moment. Bringing together professionals from different backgrounds and paths gives students a fuller, more human and tangible picture of the profession. And the demand is consistently there. Every event has shown us that students are eager for this kind of exposure; the limiting factor is not their interest, but how often industry shows up to provide it.

If you're reading this newsletter, you're already part of an industry with the knowledge, networks, and resources to open real doors for the next generation. Volunteering a few hours, lending your hands, your time, sharing your story, or hosting a space, costs relatively little and pays off in ways that compound for years. The young person who attends one of these events and later finds their way into construction, trades, or engineering brings fresh talent, perspective, and energy to work that all of us care about.

The program keeps growing. Our goal is to keep expanding reach while deepening the quality of each experience. None of this happens without partnership. We are grateful to Skyline Restoration for hosting and making this initiative possible, to the Salvadori Center for their extraordinary educational leadership, and to every NWIR NYC Council and IIBEC Metro New York member who has given their time to show these students what is possible. Stay tuned for more events like these and opportunities to volunteer!

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