NYC’s Salvadori Center: Laying The Foundation for The Future
An industry’s success is built on its ability to engage future generations. As design and construction continues to advance and evolve at a faster and faster pace, this engagement becomes more important than ever. In order to stay ahead of this ever-expanding curve, STO Building Group is working with organizations like the Salvadori Center to inspire and educate the next generation of builders.
The Salvadori Center provides STEAM programs for elementary and high school students to develop their interest in architecture, engineering, and construction professions. Founded in 1987, the center’s goal is to ultimately give kids the opportunity to learn first-hand how STEAM topics are relevant in their own lives, through projects that involve communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and creativity. “The Salvadori Center brings STEAM learning to kids in areas that may not have the resources to learn about topics like engineering, architecture, math, and science,” says Renee Kiviat, an assistant account executive with Structure Tone New York. Kiviat is a volunteer and founding member of the Salvadori Center’s Emerging Leaders Advisory Group (ELAG), who are tasked with community fundraising, outreach, and, especially, awareness.
“The emerging leaders group is also a networking opportunity for those of us in the early part of our careers, where we can make friends in the business along with supporting the bigger cause,” Kiviat explains.
Kiviat was first introduced to the Salvadori Center by STO Building Group CEO Bob Mullen, who has been on the board of directors for over a decade. Bob, in turn, first got involved through Structure Tone’s former president Tony Carvette, another long-time Salvadori champion. Today, Kiviat and others are forming the next generation of STOBG supporters.
According to Kiviat, the Salvadori Center has not only given her the opportunity to match volunteer work with network-building, but it has also allowed her to experience the imagination and passion of these younger students firsthand.
The look on the students’ faces when they’re learning is instant feedback on the time you’re putting in,” Kiviat says. “You’re not just donating money to a charity and hoping it does something. I’m interacting with them, which is very rewarding, and the projects are fun, too.”
Organizations like the Salvadori Center are opening doors and creating opportunities for tomorrow’s generation. For Kiviat, that vision is not just about giving back to the community, but also inspiring and cementing a foundation of passion for the world’s future builders and creators.
“I would never have gotten into construction if I didn’t have these kinds of resources available to me in high school,” says Kiviat. “So it’s rewarding to be able to give back to the next generation and build this industry up with the best success it could possibly have.”