AUTODESK EDUCATION COMMUNITY

Make It Real: Your future in construction starts here

Build your tech skills. Challenge yourself. Find funding. Explore careers. #MakeAnything

Make your mark by making things better

Autodesk's Make It Real program encourages young people to engage with their communities by applying the design thinking process to real-world problems related to construction and the built environment. It also offers inspiration, learning, and funding opportunities.

Autodesk is partnering with pro football quarterback Joshua Dobbs, who majored in aerospace engineering and interned at NASA. As a star pro athlete, he continues to flex his mind to be a force of change.

Join Josh for the “More Than a Destination” film series, in which he meets construction industry game-changers, who are exploring new frontiers through technology and blazing the path for next generation builders.

"More Than a Destination" with Joshua Dobbs

Two construction workers in hard hats stand inside an unfinished building. They are discussing plans, surrounded by wooden frames and tools. Natural light enters through large windows, highlighting the industrial space.

Earthbound

Josh visits a historic site that has been given a new purpose, causing his engineering mindset to home in on a terrestrial problem.

Two people at a desk look at architectural designs on a computer monitor. Another screen displays technical information, and there's a blueprint on the table.

Drafting the playbook

An architect who is changing the way affordable housing is built invites Josh into his studio, where the past and future intersect across multiple dimensions.

A person wearing a hard hat and glasses is concentrating while painting a window frame. They hold a paintbrush with a gloved hand, focusing intently on the task. Natural light from the window brightens their workspace.

We built this

Josh meets with workers who embody the spirit of innovation and grit needed to tackle the housing crisis.

A construction worker in a safety vest and hard hat observes a city skyline from a high vantage point. The sky is clear, and the buildings in the background form a modern urban landscape.

Touching down

It all comes full circle when Josh travels to a newly constructed development to see how resilient affordable housing benefits socially vulnerable populations.

Navigate your future in construction

A person wearing a hard hat and safety vest is holding a tablet displaying a detailed architectural blueprint or 3D model. The screen shows various rooms and structures, suggesting a focus on construction or design planning.

Technology tutorials

Build tech skills for in-demand careers.

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A welder wearing protective gear works with a welding torch on a metal pipe in an industrial setting. Sparks fly around the area, and various tools and equipment are visible in the background.

Microfunding

Find funds to level up your learning in the building trades.

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Two construction workers wearing hard hats and safety vests stand in a dimly lit worksite. One holds a tablet, and they appear to be discussing plans. The background shows construction materials and partially visible equipment.

Career exploration

Learn from industry professionals and start to build your network now.

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"Make It Home" Scholarship Award

Autodesk is challenging students to come up with ideas to improve the affordability, availability, and resiliency of mass housing by asking: What if affordable housing could solve other problems in a community?

Participants must be:

Students aged 13 or older
Enrolled in high school (or homeschooled) or a community/technical college
Legal residents of the U.S. or Canada (excluding Quebec)
Incorporate Autodesk software to create an Instructable for their design

Scholarship prizes total $50,000 and will support educational expenses such as tuition, books, room and board, transportation, and childcare.  Contest deadline: Monday, June 30, 2025 at 11:59 PM PT

Explore the learning resources below to build your skills for the contest.

Go to contest page

Explore Autodesk design and construction resources

Watch these brief tutorials from Autodesk experts on how to bring a design idea to life.

Unlock educational access to Autodesk products

3D model of a waterfront industrial site on a computer screen. The interface displays editing tools and settings on the right. The model includes several buildings and textures, resembling a planning or design software.

Get started in FormIt

Model basic architectural concepts in FormIt.

A 3D architectural model of a building featuring a large glass facade with grid-like panels. The design interface is visible on the right, showing various material options and tools. The background appears to be a digital rendering of a landscape.

Level up in FormIt

Try advanced tools in FormIt like the Dynamo visual scripting language.

A digital 3D rendering of a spacious room with large windows and wooden flooring. The interface shows various design tools and options on the right side of the screen.

Tell stories visually with FormIt

Animate scenes in a design and apply visual styles to personalize it.

A person is participating in a virtual meeting, presenting a 3D architectural model on the screen. The design includes buildings, a green area, and a surrounding layout. The person is in the bottom right corner wearing glasses and headphones.

Optimize a FormIt design

Analyze a design for its environmental impact and use Dynamo to automate processes.

A person with glasses is speaking via video call. The screen displays a technical drawing in a CAD software interface, featuring geometric shapes and dimensions.

Design landscapes in AutoCAD

Get started designing a landscape using AutoCAD.

3D architectural rendering of a modern building with arched roofs and large windows. The structure is enclosed in a transparent rectangular box, showcasing exterior and interior elements, including a central open space.

Illustrate details in Revit

Use Revit to highlight building elements that inform construction.

A 3D modeling software interface showcasing a digital urban landscape with buildings, roads, and green spaces. The right side displays a materials palette, while the top menu contains various tool icons.

Plan construction site logistics

Generate 3D context from geographic data with an Infraworks-FormIt workflow.

A person appears in a video call next to a computer screen displaying a 3D architectural design with green and red elements, lines, and measurements. The interface includes various design tools and options.

Communicate about construction

Use Construction Cloud tools to review and flag clashes among building elements.

Building Changemakers Microgrant Application

This $500 grant is intended for students ages 17-22 in the U.S. who are transitioning from high school into an apprenticeship or additional vocational training in the building trades. It may be used to cover expenses to support your training such as tuition, books, safety equipment, uniforms, lab fees, transportation, certification fees, or childcare.

This program will run until September 29, 2025, or until the $50,000 in funds (100 total prizes) allotted for this program run out. Limited to one entry per person.

Be a changemaker

A person walks through a large, industrial warehouse with high ceilings, surrounded by metal beams and machinery. The space appears under construction or being renovated, with scattered materials and a partially assembled setting.

Make your future with Autodesk by your side

Check out the Autodesk Design & Make Ambassador Program, an innovative student community of designers, engineers, builders, and creators. It's a place to build relationships, share your unique skills, and ultimately prepare you for a successful Design & Make career.

Watch the films below to discover the many career paths into the future of construction.

Learn more

"Beyond Bounds" with Joshua Dobbs

A welder in protective gear uses a welding torch, creating bright sparks and blue light on a metal surface in an industrial setting. Shelving with tools and equipment is blurred in the background.

The Sky is just the beginning

Josh shares why he is on a quest to merge his background in aerospace studies and football with his interest in building a better Earth.

Two men are engaged in conversation on a balcony overlooking a large industrial workspace filled with machinery and workers. One man wears a patterned shirt, and the other wears a dark shirt with glasses. The workspace is bright and organized.

Crossing the threshold

Josh explores an innovative facility that is transforming how builders approach constructing for changing conditions.

Two workers in a busy factory fist-bump. One wears a safety vest, and the other is in a Nox Innovations t-shirt, standing near machinery and stacks of materials. Other workers are visible in the background.

Testing limits

Josh comes away with new questions after meeting with a fabrication worker whose story of creativity and perseverance deepens his thinking.

Three people conducting a land survey in an outdoor setting. Two are conversing, wearing safety vests, while the third operates surveying equipment. A tripod and a hilly landscape are visible in the background.

Going beyond

A journey to a job site joins Josh with a construction manager who ushers concepts into reality and imparts knowledge that inspires a call to action.

"Bridging Gaps" with James Develin and Connor Clifton

Two people wearing beanies walk on an ice rink. One person is in casual clothing, and the other is in hockey gear. They are engaged in conversation, with empty bleachers and banners visible in the background.

Winning together

James and Connor discuss how their backgrounds in engineering have empowered them with a new way of thinking about the future.

Four construction workers wearing safety gear and hard hats are standing on a construction site with a cityscape in the background. They appear to be engaged in conversation.

Building connection

Guided by construction project managers, the duo visits a 520-ton steel deck that will bridge together two Boston neighborhoods.

Three people wearing hard hats and reflective safety vests stand in a construction area, engaged in conversation. They are surrounded by wires and construction materials.

Tapping potential

The team learns from a pipefitter about her career and how the systems she assembles are vital to the building project.

A group of four individuals are seated around a white conference table in an office setting, engaged in a discussion. The focus is on a laptop in the foreground displaying a colorful 3D architectural model. The model includes various geometric shapes in vibrant hues such as blue, orange, pink, and green, representing different components of a design. On the left, a person wearing a black beanie and a light sweater speaks while gesturing with their hands. In the center, a woman in a dark jacket attentively listens, while on the right, a man in a white shirt sits with his hands clasped. A fourth person, partially visible and out of focus on the right, operates the laptop. The background features modern office furniture and a large window.

Co-piloting the future

James and Connor learn about construction technologies that reduce busy work, so builders can focus on what matters most.

"Make It Modular" with James Develin

A family sits on a colorful bench against a teal and white wall. The father, wearing a beanie, holds a drink. Four children sit beside him, three with drinks. The mother, in a white hat, holds a drink and a baby wrapped in a blanket.

Trading sweat for sweets

James sees an opportunity to reimagine a shipping container as a surf shack–inspired cafe that serves smoothies and coffee.

A woman with glasses and long dark hair shows a decorative plant to a man in a beanie and plaid shirt. They are standing outdoors, and the plant is in a wooden planter attached to a wall.

Making room to grow

James tackles the interior and exterior design work with everything from the surfboard seat installation to the living wall.

Two men are engaged in conversation outside. The man on the right has a thick beard and is wearing a black beanie and a red and black checkered flannel jacket. He appears to be listening intently. The man on the left, seen from the back, has gray hair and is wearing a dark gray jacket. In the background, there are signs and a light blue building, suggesting a casual, outdoor setting such as a market or roadside stall.

Powering up

The thin metal walls of a container don’t safely accommodate electrical components, so James seeks expert advice.

A split-screen video conference call between two people, with an application showcasing a 3D model interface in the background. The left side of the screen displays the interface of a design application, featuring a 3D model of a building façade with blue siding and the word "Smoothi" displayed in yellow text. There are various tools and icons at the bottom of the application window, indicative of design and editing functions. On the top right side of the image, a man with a beard is speaking, gesturing with his hands while seated in a room with white walls. On the bottom right, a woman with short hair, wearing an orange sweater, is smiling in an office setting filled with computers and bookshelves.

Scaling sustainably

James meets with Fope, an Autodesk researcher focused on innovation within the construction industry.