“DDC’s program is a highly competitive paid internship that will allow the students to learn from and interact with some of the country’s most accomplished construction managers, designers, architects and sustainability experts,” said Acting Commissioner Barrio. “This remarkably diverse group of students will perform field assignments, visit ongoing DDC projects and learn first-hand the design concepts and technical abilities that underpin how DDC builds the City every day.”
Students in the
program will be assigned to a DDC group including Infrastructure, Public Buildings, the Office of the Chief Architect and Site & Safety Support, depending on their interests and field of study. Students will be paired with a professional mentor, take field trips to DDC project locations, meet with various members of DDC’s senior staff and also participate in a Community Day where they will work in the field on various beautification and clean-up projects.
The 29 students on this year’s program represent 16 different schools, including NYU, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, CUNY New York City College of Technology, Columbia, Stevens Institute of Technology, CUNY City College of New York, SUNY at Buffalo, SUNY Stony Brook, Vassar College, University of Connecticut, Cornell, SUNY Binghamton, CUNY Hunter College, Fordham, Nassau Community College and New Jersey Institute of Technology.
More than 400 applications were submitted for the 29 available slots, with candidates interviewed at DDC as part of the selection process. Degrees that undergraduate students in the program are working towards include Bachelors in architecture, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, urban design, sustainable urban environments and geography. Among the graduate students in the program, Masters degrees in urban planning, civil engineering, landscape architecture, business analytics and construction engineering and management are being pursued.
The 2018 interns also speak a variety of languages in addition to English, including Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, Mandarin, Polish, Bengali, French and Hindi.
DDC student internship programs are conducted in conjunction with DDC’s STEAM education initiative, established in 2014 to create a diverse and inclusive pipeline for New York City's youth to engage in the architecture, construction and engineering industries. STEAM programs for students grade 6 - 12 include the Young Engineers Program and the ACE Mentor Program. DDC also hosts an annual summer internship program for NYC high school students.
About the NYC Department of Design and Construction
The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor de Blasio’s long-term vision of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, and new or upgraded roads, sewers and water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $13 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to City projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.
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