22 mentor and student pairs participated in the Urban Forest Project, creating banners that reflected each student’s take on the metaphor or form of a tree.

Pairs were guided through the concept and design process, starting with a scavenger hunt in Union Square and SOMA. Students were encouraged to note the contrasts in the different locations - one natural, the other urban. The project helped them understand what it is to design with a specific audience and location in mind. The students, like all participating designers, came to appreciate the challenge and visual opportunity that is Union Square.

Students in the AIGA San Francisco’s Mentoring Program learn about the creative fields of graphic design, fashion, architecture, photography and illustration. The program is organized and run by dedicated volunteers with the common goal of making a difference in the lives of San Francisco’s young artists.

AIGA San Francisco works with the San Francisco City Department of Education’s San Francisco Mentoring Program and our partner school, the High School of Art and Design, to effectively coordinate and run our Mentoring Program. The AIGA/SF Mentoring Program was founded in 1993 and currently has about 45-50 pairs.