Last week, the Spirit Cultural Exchange office in Oak Park welcomed Clara, a BridgeUSA Architecture Trainee. After taking the El from Chicago – where her Host Company, STL Architects Inc, is located – Clara spent a few hours with Spirit staff taking a tour and discussing her experiences in the United States so far.
Clara’s visit started with a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Home and Studio. Clara had studied the architect in school and was excited to see his work up close. A proponent of cultural exchange himself, Wright took many influences from Japanese architecture and had a large collection of Japanese wood block prints, some which Clara and Spirit staff members Cathriona, Katie, and Nora got to experience firsthand.
After the tour, the group further enjoyed Oak Park’s unique architecture while taking a walking tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District, which features several more of Wright’s Prairie Style homes. They also stopped by the bust of Wright in Austin Gardens park!
To end her visit, Clara ate a pizza lunch with Spirit staff members in their office, where she recounted her experience living in Chicago and training at STL Architects (and gave some great restaurant recommendations!) as a BridgeUSA Architecture Trainee.
Thanks for visiting, Clara!
If you’re a young professional or qualified teacher looking for a culturally rich experience, consider Spirit’s Intern or Teacher Program! We are United States Department of State as a BridgeUSA J-1 Visa Program Sponsor and offer sponsorship for Intern and Teacher programs throughout the US. Start your application today!