The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum inspires, educates, and empowers people through design.
With outside help, the roganization can share the power of design with America’s school kids. Cooper Hewitt’s innovative Design in the Classroom shows k-12 students how to use the principles of design thinking to solve real-life challenges. Designers of all disciplines use design thinking to collaborate and bring creative ideas to life.
A free educational program, which can be adapted for all grade levels, Design in the Classroom introduces design thinking to students through the Ready, Set, Design challenge—a hands-on workshop created by Cooper Hewitt educators. Ready, Set, Design provides the opportunity for students to solve a real-life problem using the same stages of the design process as working designers. Organized into teams, students actively observe, collaborate, build prototypes with the props provided in our Design Challenge Kit, present their designs, and critique the results.
For students, design thinking sharpens a child’s critical thinking, builds creative confidence, encourages the sharing of multiple perspectives, and bolsters a child’s ability to speak and listen effectively—all skills that fulfill Common Core standards and 21st Century Skills requirements.
So far, Design in the Classroom has reached and inspired over 80,000 children. Its goal is to extend this program nationwide and introduce every student in America to design learning. A gift from you would be an investment in the nation’s future and inspire the designers of tomorrow! Head here to help. #nextgendesigners
