Palm Springs Modern Committee

The Palm Springs Modern Committee's Education and Workforce Development Program introduces approximately 220 middle and high school students across the Coachella Valley to the fields of architecture, design, engineering, and historic preservation.

Serving students in Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, and Cathedral City, the program combines classroom instruction with guided tours of some of the Coachella Valley's most significant architectural landmarks.

Students learn about the midcentury modern movement and the architects who helped shape the distinctive design identity of our region, including Albert Frey, William F. Cody, and William Krisel. The program is brought to life through a range of engaging activities, including model building, art projects, video work, and design presentations, while local architects, designers, and other industry professionals bring real-world insight directly into the classroom. These experiences help students build creativity, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills while introducing them to career paths they may not otherwise consider.

Support from the Anderson Children's Foundation helps broaden access by funding transportation, classroom supplies, and essential materials, allowing the program to bring architecture and design directly into local schools.

For students who choose to pursue these interests further, PS ModCom also offers renewable 4-year scholarships and internships, providing continued support as they move from early interest toward higher education and future careers.

PS ModCom is a non-profit organization dedicated to the appreciation and preservation of Desert Modern architecture and design. We accomplish this through education, advocacy for threatened buildings, promotion of heritage tourism, and the celebration of successes in preservation and adaptive reuse as well as new architectural design.

One of our key educational initiatives is the BEAM program (Building Educational Architectural Models) offered to middle- and high-school students throughout the Palm Springs Unified School District and at St Theresa School. This program aims to build awareness and appreciation for architecture and design while introducing students to potential career options within these fields. At the beginning of our program, most students have very little knowledge of, or appreciation for the internationally recognized architectural heritage that we have in the Coachella Valley.

We provide three days of in-class talks about architecture and design, lead the students on a bus tour of the architectural highlights of the area, mentor the students on building architectural models of residences and other buildings, and showcase the models at events such as Modernism Week and the City of Palm Springs’ Preservation Matters conference.

Additionally, we offer a popular and well-attended series of educational talks about architecture and design at the Palm Springs Public Library, Rancho Mirage Public Library and the University of California, Riverside, in Palm Desert.

Contact: Hugh Wakeham

Email: hugh.wakeham@gmail.com