Students Build Cities: New Projects for 2025 / 2026!
Photo: Andrew Gunn & Carley Shearon of Andrew Gunn Consulting and young & free press on Talbot Street in downtown St. Thomas. Our team is beginning to introduce new projects in our ‘Students Build Cities’ program for 2025/26 in collaboration with the Thames Valley District School Board and STEAM Centre.
Over the past five years, the team at Andrew Gunn Consulting and young & free press have worked in collaboration with the Thames Valley District School Board and STEAM Centre to connect students directly to local community-building projects. In St. Thomas specifically, students have participated in the design of Westlake-Evans Park, collaborated with professional artists to paint new murals, informed the development of the Hospice of Elgin, and contributed ideas to renew the Parks & Recreation and Transportation Master Plans for the City of St. Thomas.
Now, we are thrilled to begin introducing our Students Build Cities projects for 2025-26! First up, we are excited to develop a new ‘neon trail’ for St. Thomas. Participating students will have the opportunity to consider the significance of neon signs in urban spaces, learn about how neon signs work, and then imagine and design new installations for the community.
Through the ‘STEAM Community Studio’ at the STEAM Centre, we have been fortunate to have Shea McDonald, a student from the School of Advanced Studies in the Arts at Western University, assist with research and design. She has been gathering images of past signs in St. Thomas, noting fonts and phrases, and exploring the options for the use of neon in new signs. Ultimately, all this research will be utilized in the student workshops that help to guide the overall project.
We are so pleased to advance this initiative in collaboration with the Thames Valley District School Board, STEAM Centre, and Railway City Tourism. Heartfelt thanks as well to Entegrus for supporting student initiatives through the ‘STEAM Community Studio’ program at the STEAM Centre.
Interested in participating? Contact Andrew Gunn at gunn@andrewgunnconsulting.ca
