We are thrilled to announce that this year's State of Black Design Conference is joining forces with
DESIGNEXPLORR to offer an exciting workshop tailored for students in grades 6 through 12. This
collaborative effort aims to engage young minds in the vibrant world of design
What do you do?
The Design Learning Challenge (grades 6-12)
A design learning challenge is an interactive workshop that allows youth to think like a designer, practice empathy, and expand their imagination through creative exploration.
Our design learning challenge exposes youth to design careers and creates an opportunity to think deeply about solving a problem using the six-step design thinking process. The Design Learning Challenge workshop pairs professional designers with students in grades 6-12 (the preferred student ratio is 4-6 students to 1 professional) to solve a social impact topic together.
This 90-120 minute workshop produces a physical (or digital prototype) and concludes in a shared collaborative experience where students reflect and present their design results.
ABOUT DESIGNEXPLORR
Our workshop experiences infuse creativity, design thinking, and problem-solving into custom interactive design workshops for K-12 youth.
DesignExplorr programs foster innovation by helping youth gain creative confidence, develop critical thinking skills, and learn to visualize their ideas. For elementary students (K-5) our activities expose students to design thinking and prototyping solutions. For middle school students (6-8), our workshops expose youth to empathy mapping, and introduce them to digital prototyping tools. For high school students (9-12) allow attendees to experience design learning challenges, discover research methods, and prototype products and services.
Our interactive educational programs, led by Jacinda Walker, founder + creative director of designExplorr, use creative exploration, critical thinking, and artistic prototyping to introduce youth to design's transformative power. Developed by designExplorr, these workshops aim to guide young minds toward creative careers. Jacinda will facilitate activities that enhance brainstorming, introduce human-centered design, and empower youth to craft innovative creations from their imaginations.