NEW BEDFORD, Mass. - s4story -- Global Learning Charter Public School (GLCPS), a tuition-free public charter school that currently services 500 students in grades 5-12, recently sponsored senior Vanhelsig Eyes Castellanos and sophomore Jaslin Arita Hernandez at the Boston Architectural School Program for aspiring architects.

The two students were recommended by their teachers for the Boston Architecture School Summer Academy for High School Students because of their interest in architecture. They attended the virtual program and worked on case studies with kits of materials and supplies to complete the hands-on design and building projects. The program also made available the latest in design software.

Among the structures Jaslin researched were the Taj Mahal and the Sydney Opera House. She enjoyed learning watercolor and marker techniques used by architects in their design process and was surprised to learn about how much architects rely on digital technology. Jaslin enjoyed the challenge of designing a building to fit into a tiny space on Boylston Street in Boston. The students were instructed to build vertically because of limited space. Jaslin designed a café on the ground floor with a library on the upper floor.

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Vanhelsig plans to apply to Roger Williams University to major in architecture. He said the summer program allowed him to explore the various types of careers in the field and that architecture is an umbrella term for many career paths including urban architecture, interior, exterior, landscape, and commercial. He concluded he is most interested in interior, commercial and landscape architecture.

"Congratulations to Vanhelsig and Jaslin on their successful completion of this challenging program," said Dr. Stephen Furtado, Executive Director of GLCPS. "Through their interest in architecture they were able to explore the profession and potential career paths. With their bright and curious minds both students have a brilliant future. Our fundraising efforts allow us to offer these opportunities to our students."

GLCPS is a tuition-free public charter school serving 500 New Bedford students in Grades 5-12. Students are enrolled through a blind lottery. Additional information is available on the school's website, www.glcps.org. For more information, please contact the school at (508) 991-4105.