September 3rd, 2026 | 2-minute read

McEwen School of Architecture Inspires Next Generation of Architects

From hands-on workshops in high schools across Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to a full-day immersive experience for Grade 4 students, Laurentian University’s McEwen School of Architecture (MSoA) is taking educational outreach beyond traditional boundaries.

(September 3, 2026) – From hands-on workshops in high schools across Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to a full-day immersive experience for Grade 4 students, Laurentian University’s McEwen School of Architecture (MSoA) is taking educational outreach beyond traditional boundaries.

At the centre of this exciting opportunity for local grade 4 students is a unique mother-daughter Laurentian University alumnae duo: Stephanie Oddy (Bachelor of Arts ’08, Bachelor of Education ’09) and Brook-Lynn Roy (Bachelor of Architectural Studies ’21, Master of Architecture ’23 at the McEwen School of Architecture). Combining their experiences in education and hands-on learning, the pair recently organized and executed a full day of immersive French-language architecture workshops at the MSoA for Grade 4 students from l’École Jean-Paul II.

During the visit, young students toured the downtown Sudbury campus, practiced perspective drawings, manipulated professional drafting equipment, and even mapped out full-scale 1:1 floor plans directly on the ground.

"As Canada’s only accredited architecture school offering bilingual programming, it is crucial for us to provide opportunities for Francophone youth in Northern Ontario to explore creative disciplines and career paths in their mother tongue." said Brook-Lynn Roy, sessional instructor and Archi·North co-coordinator at the McEwen School of Architecture.

This initiative is part of a broader push by the MSoA team to demystify the architectural profession for youth in remote, rural, and Francophone communities. Earlier this spring, Archi·North co-coordinators Brook-Lynn Roy and Louis-Pierre Bélec embarked on a multi-region road trip—loading up drafting equipment to conduct full-day workshops for over 100 high school students in New Brunswick and Northern Ontario.

"Unlike doctors or mechanics, architects aren't professionals young people bump into every day," added Roy. "Bringing these low-stakes, hands-on workshops directly to remote high schools allows us to open up conversations about space, community, and design—giving students the opportunity to see architecture as a viable future career."

To learn more about programming and initiatives at the McEwen School of Architecture, visit mcewenarchitecture.ca.