PHOENIX—Arizona-based real estate investment and development company Harvard Investments and East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) launched a 12-month program that provides high school students unprecedented access in understanding the entire process for building a master-plan community–Cadence at Gateway. The program will be the first of its kind in the nation, allowing students to track Cadence's development as it happens–from groundbreaking to doors opening.

“Our intent is that when a student completes this 12-month study, she or he will have unprecedented knowledge about each step in building a community that will serve 1,700 families as well as businesses, schools, retail and more,” said Craig Krumwiede, president of Harvard Investments. “It puts the young person that much closer to understanding career options within this great industry, first-hand access to watching it get built, linking them to the best professionals in the industry and encouraging next steps in their career path.”

The partnership will impact nearly 200 local high school students in the construction program at EVIT, one of Arizona's most successful career and technical high schools. The in-depth curriculum includes what a developer considers in identifying viable land, assemblage and purchase, entitlement and working with government entities, financing, buyer research, land planning, architecture and interiors style and execution, home building, branding and marketing, and how it all fits together from 30,000 feet.

“We have strong partners in this industry and one of the most successful construction programs in the state,” said EVIT superintendent Sally Downey. “But the opportunity for students to become part of a project from start to finish and better understand the many partners and pieces that it takes to create something of this magnitude, and which aspects are interesting to them, therefore better guiding career choices, is very exciting for us at EVIT. We are humbled that Harvard Investments and its partners will invest such significant time into our students' education to create an educational model that has never been done before.”

EVIT students will attend in-class, interactive lecture series with industry leaders such as award-winning land planner and landscape architect Wendell Pickett, architect Bing Hu, Silverfern executive John Fortini and interior designer Kim Anderson. Additionally, hands-on field trips, summer internships and when appropriate, jobs will be offered.

Krumwiede tells GlobeSt.com: “What better way to invest in our community than through the education and partnership of local students who have the affinity and aptitude to positively impact our industry in the future? Training high school students and then retaining our talented youth through exciting career opportunities and valuable mentorship is the right thing to do from a community and economic standpoint and speaks to Harvard Investment's larger commitment to the region. The professionalism of the EVIT students exceeded our expectations as we launched our first event in the Cadence Builds ongoing series. Our team is working to provide an experience for young people unlike anything in our industry. However, after interacting with these bright high school students, hearing their insightful questions, and feeling their passion for the construction and design industry, we were the ones left impressed. The next 10 months will include additional panel discussions, onsite hand-on tours, mentorship and valuable connections for the future careers of these highly motivated students.”

Instant Insights /

Students Get Unprecedented Access to Master Planning

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