The OAA’s Public Awareness Sponsorship program, held twice a year, supports initiatives that advance the Architects Act’s goal of promoting public appreciation of architecture and the allied arts and sciences. The next deadline for submissions is September 15, 2025.

The Communications and Public Education Committee (CPEC)
 has agreed to fund the following applicants:

• Architectural Conservancy of Ontario – Doors Open Hamilton
  
  Founded in 1933, the Architectural Conservancy Ontario (ACO) is dedicated to preserving Ontario's built heritage and fostering a greater appreciation for architectural history. ACO supports a wide range of activities, including adaptive reuse projects, local preservation initiatives across its branches, and public events. This year, the ACO supports Doors Open Hamilton, a free public event that grants special access to locations across the city and promotes appreciation of local architecture and heritage conservation.
  
  
• Toronto Public Space Committee and Cyan Station - To the Loo! Toronto Toilet Design Challenge
  
  The "To the Loo! Toronto Toilet Design Challenge" is a global call to reimagine public washrooms as vital elements of the urban landscape. A joint effort by the Toronto Public Space Committee and Cyan Station, the initiative emphasizes accessibility, public health, and innovative design. Featuring a summer 2025 public event and exhibition, the challenge invites architects, designers, and engaged citizens to explore creative solutions that transform how we experience these essential public spaces.
  
  
• Heritage Ottawa – 2025 Heritage Ottawa Walking Tours
  
  Heritage Ottawa is an advocate for the preservation and appreciation of Ottawa's built heritage. For more than 50 years, its signature guided Walking Tours -- offered in both English and French, have attracted diverse audiences and have highlighted the city's rich architectural and cultural history, bringing neighbourhoods and landmarks to life. Heritage Ottawa’s Walking Tours inspire appreciation and stewardship of the built environment and foster a deeper understanding of how heritage shapes our communities.
  
  
• Kelvin Kung – Designing Dignity: Community-Driven Insights for Better Palliative and Long-Term Care Spaces
  
  "Designing Dignity: Community-Driven Insights for Better Palliative and Long-Term Care Spaces" focuses on enhancing the quality of life for aging populations by reimagining care spaces through thoughtful architectural design. By leveraging online engagement tools, AI-driven analysis, and stakeholder input, this initiative will develop data-driven reports and recommendations for the public, policymakers, and design professionals. Prioritizing dignity, comfort, and functionality in palliative and long-term care environments, the project aims to raise awareness about architecture's crucial role in shaping compassionate care spaces, empowering communities to advocate for better design and influence future policies and practices.
  
  
• McEwen School of Architecture, Laurentian University – Archi-North Summer Camp
  
  Archi·North Summer Camp, offered by Laurentian University’s McEwen School of Architecture, is a bilingual and tricultural program designed for Northern Ontario high school students entering Grades 11 and 12. The week-long, immersive camp provides an affordable introduction to architectural design through hands-on experience in drafting, model-making, and digital tools with an emphasis on sustainable materials. Led by faculty and recent graduates, the Sudbury-based camp encourages youth to be agents of change and reimagine their own communities.
  
  
• Moses Structural Engineers Inc. - TimberFever 2025
  
  Now in its 11th year, TimberFever 2025, presented by Moses Structural Engineers, is a hands-on design-build competition that brings together architecture and engineering students from Canadian and U.S. universities to collaborate, create, and innovate. Under the guidance of professional mentors, carpenters, and industry leaders, participants tackle real-world challenges like affordable housing and climate resilience while refining both design and construction skills. The event engages the community through public displays and online voting on final projects, encouraging students to think creatively about architecture's role in shaping a better future.
  
  
• RAW Design - Architectural and Design Summer Camp, “Diversity in Design”
  
  RAW Design's "Diversity in Design" Summer Camp introduces underrepresented high school students to the architecture profession through an immersive, hands-on experience. Now in its fifth year, this free week-long mentorship program fosters creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork with activities like model-making, workshops, and urban exploration led by architects and volunteers. By inspiring the next generation of designers, the camp equips participants with the tools and knowledge needed to succeed in architecture.
  
  
• Urban Minds - 1UP Fellowship 2025-2026
  
  Urban Minds’ 1UP Fellowship 2025-2026 empowers high school students across Ontario to become urban changemakers through mentorship and hands-on projects. The Fellowship features two streams: the Design-Builders Stream, where students launch school chapters to tackle community design challenges, and the Learners Stream, which introduces students to city-building topics through structured learning activities. By fostering sustainable, inclusive urban designs and deepening architectural awareness, the program inspires youth to shape a better future.