top of page
May 15, 2018

Year End and SXSWedu Reflections

Design 4 impact had an amazing experience at SXSWedu. We were lucky to be in an environment where everyone was excited about education and the D4i mission.  We met educators, entrepreneurs, and everyone in between, and many of them were eager to find out how they could support us. Additionally, many of the people we met gave us invaluable feedback on our mission, our model, and our means of advertising. - Jimmy

Connection with School Curriculums

Curriculum maps, project syllabi, and student-facing project descriptions are undergoing a revamp to more intentionally include the SI skills.  Next year, it is our intention to formalize the connection to the SI skills in at least 2 of the projects we run - the 9th grade Noise Project and the 10th grade Comfortable Conservation Project.  Both of these projects lend themselves to a natural integration of the SI skills, including design, entrepreneurship, empathy, global trends, and ethics. - Mr. Hoeksema

Networking

Through the sessions we attended and the booth the students manned at the Expo, students and teachers were able to build a list of professional connections.  Professionals interested in design thinking were drawn to the booth to learn more about how to roll out design thinking in their own classrooms. Several individuals and organizations have reached out to me post-trip to either connect professionally or to offer PD/grad school opportunities related to PBL or design thinking. 

The one piece of advice I have for anyone thinking of joining Design 4 Impact is to be okay with learning as you go. By that I mean being comfortable with entering a design challenge and using it as your classroom. Letting it be a place where you learn through the experience instead of being told what design thinking is. - Allegra

I learned how much power education truly has, and how it can impact or change someone’s life. I was exposed to different companies who are also trying to ratify the education world similar to D4i. I also learned how to think and speak on the spot, because no matter how much you prepare and spend time in anticipation for, there always has to be some improvisation. - Anna

Apr. 15, 2018

D4i at SXSWedu

Feb. 15, 2018

Help Send Design 4 Impact to SXSWedu

What’s Going On?

D4i is headed to SXSW Edu Conference in Austin, TX! As the only high school group hosting a summit at this year’s conference (out of 1400 proposals), D4i has finalized a roster of 10 students, comprised of Leads and full team members.

 

But We Need You! ​

We were accepted, but we need you to help raise the funds needed for our plane tickets, lodging, and food (at least we hope to eat). Our goal is a whopping $5,000, but through bake sales, design challenge events (our bread and butter) with the lower school students at our school, announcements, and a little bit of hustling, we are confident that our community can help make this happen. Check out our GoFundMe page for additional information and an opportunity to donate moolah.

 

If you do one thing to start this year off right, it would be helping us grow and develop our startup, and help send us to SX.

Last November, we were selected as the only high school group (out of 1400 proposals) to host a summit at SXSWedu 2018. Your donations will be crucial in helping us pay for plane tickets and lodging for the event. 

SXSWedu is a unique opportunity for D4i (a student-led startup) to test our evolved model and approach in front of a national/international audience, press, etc without hosting/preparing our own conference. Externally, it’s a great way to build partnerships and learn; internally, a unique vehicle for teambuilding and incentive for hard work as we establish a D4i culture at Avenues. In sum, SX is a lynchpin for this year’s major goals: 
1. Improve/update D4i materials
2. Continue to host D4i challenges & develop model
3. Host Summit & recruit network at SXSW Launch 
4. Launch D4i Sao Paulo @Os Primeiros 

Sending the team to SXSWedu is an experience against which to measure our progress; and will inform our short and long-term direction. If you do one thing to support D4i this year, make it helping us go to SX to share our work with the world!

bottom of page