Notre Dame Cathedral Restoration Internship!

Hi everyone!

My name is Joshua Perron and I am an undergraduate student pursuing an accelerated Masters Degree in Architectural Design at the University of Hartford.

As you may know, on 15 April 2019, a catastrophic fire unfolded at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The devastating fire ravaged its historic structure, including its iconic spire and roof. Notre Dame Cathedral is more than a mere building, it serves as a symbol of cultural heritage, architectural splendor, and is understood as a monument of world history. This being said, for the last five years, a dedicated restoration and preservation effort has been underway.

Excitingly, I have been given an opportunity to attend an 8-week summer program to help in the efforts to restore the Cathedral. While this opportunity is a unique honor, it also requires a registration and travel fee of $15,000.

Over the past month I have been working hard to raise funds through a variety of scholarships, grants, and donations. I have had amazing support thus far and have raised $8000 through the generosity of companies like Turner Construction, The Connecticut Architecture Foundation as well as winning the Dunn Travel Scholarship. This GoFundMe aims to raise the remaining $7000 to push this opportunity over the finish line and into reality!

From an architectural standpoint, this amazing once in a lifetime opportunity is a chance for me to immerse myself in Gothic architecture, study the vibrant culture, network with architects, learn more about restoration and preservation processes, and apply my architectural knowledge to help rebuild such a landmark building.

Personally, this project and opportunity means the world to me. I feel honored to be offered the opportunity to help reconstruct a piece of architecture that is so important to people globally and in the world of architecture. The prospect of working on a project of this nature is genuinely a dream of mine. I am deeply interested in travel, culture, architecture, and giving back to the community. This is a chance for me to achieve all my aspirations.