objective

Internship is a continuation of education. However, this education is not part of the academic curriculum, but part of our professional development. EPSOLA was created to address and expand on the issues presented in a formal survey distributed to interns around the state. The issues include IDP, ARE, mentorship, career goals, and professional networking through the AIA and affiliated groups like CSI, ASID, LHBA, etc. The objective of EPSOLA is to help Interns transition from the academic arena of ideas, where problems are mostly virtual and theoretical, into the profession of architecture, where the physical environment and real lient problems exist.

EPSOLA members can be seperated into two overlapping catagories: IDP participants and ARE participants. IDP members lood for ways to gain credit in all 16 catagories listed by NCARB in the IDP handbook. EPSOLA provides ample opportunities to gain community service credit. ARE members are those who are preparing for and/or now taking the ARE. These members utilize the Kaplan ARE Study Material generously provided by AIA - South Louisiana Chapter. Should ARE participants need additional assistance to prepare for a protion of the test, local professioals and/or professors will be recruited to help them understand these concepts. EPSOLA's ultimate goal is to provide interns the information and opportunity to become competent, well-informed, licensed Architects.