Design thinking is a human-centered approach to problem-solving and innovation. It builds 21st century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. These skills are especially important now, as problems in society become more complex and industries rapidly change. Dream, Design, Empower is a week-long design thinking summer camp for middle school girls. The summer camp is intended to be a supportive space where girls can explore their interests, express themselves, and build identities as problem-solvers, innovators, and creators. Participants will engage in a group design project to address a problem of their choice. They will explore, define, ideate, build, iterate, reflect, and share prototypes of their solutions.
For their projects, participants can explore problems related to health, education, climate, or other areas that are personally authentic to them. By connecting their projects to interests and lived experiences, they can understand that learning is not limited to the classroom. Through project-based learning about a complex, real-world challenge, participants can think critically about how they can make a difference in their community and beyond. They will build empathy in understanding the diverse needs and backgrounds of other individuals. Working in groups on the projects will emulate the reality of tackling design challenges collaboratively, teaching participants communication skills and different ways of approaching problems. The design thinking process encourages participants to set goals, embrace challenges, and develop a sense that they can make a positive impact on the world.
The inspiration for this project stems from my experiences as a woman in computer science. I saw the lack of representation for women, particularly those with nondominant identities, in the computing workforce, and I wanted to delve deeper into understanding the factors that contribute to this disparity. Through research on gender equality in STEM, I found that a sense of belonging greatly influences the formation of career aspirations. Middle school in particular is a crucial time for the development of these aspirations. For young girls, low sense of belonging and negative self perception in relation to STEM can greatly impact their interest in pursuing STEM careers. In the Dream, Design, Empower summer camp, I was motivated to create an environment where middle school girls feel included, supported, and empowered not just in STEM, but also across different domains.
There is so much I still want to learn and do in the project and I hope to continue it beyond LDIT PCE! Through the process of developing this project, I was inspired by the resources below:
Design-Related Resources (Books are available through the Gutman library!)
- LDIT PCE
- Getting Started with Design Thinking by the Stanford d.school
- Lifelong Kindergarten: Cultivating Creativity Through Projects, Passion, Peers, and Play by Mitch Resnick
- Design Thinking for Every Classroom: A Practical Guide for Educators by Shelley Goldman and Molly B. Zielezinski
- Getting Unstuck by the Creative Computing Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Education
- Design for Belonging: How to Build Inclusion and Collaboration in Your Communities by Susie Wise
- Equity-Centered Community Design Field Guide by the Creative Reaction Lab
- Design Justice: Community-Led Practices to Build the Worlds We Need by Sasha Costanza-Chock
- Iterate: The Secret to Innovation in Schools by Justin Reich
Organizations Supporting Underrepresented Youth in STEM
- Science Club for Girls
- Digital Youth Divas
- Innovation Nation
- Girls Who Code
- The Clubhouse Network
- The Possible Zone
Research
- Butler, A. G., Lacey, H. P., Roberto, M. A., Hanney, D., & Luiggi, N. (2023). Innovation Nation: Teaching middle school students to be design thinkers. Middle School Journal, 54(3), 17–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/00940771.2023.2185436
- Carroll, M., Goldman, S., Britos, L., Koh, J., Royalty, A., & Hornstein, M. (2010). Destination, Imagination and the Fires Within: Design Thinking in a Middle School Classroom. The International Journal of Art & Design Education, 29(1), 37–53. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-8070.2010.01632.x
- Happe, L., Buhnova, B., Koziolek, A., & Wagner, I. (2021). Effective measures to foster girls’ interest in secondary computer science education. Education and Information Technologies, 26(3), 2811–2829. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-020-10379-x
- Kang, H., Calabrese Barton, A., Tan, E., Simpkins, S., Rhee, H., & Turner, C. (2019). How do middle school girls of color develop STEM identities? Middle school girls’ participation in science activities and identification with STEM careers. Science Education (Salem, Mass.), 103(2), 418–439. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21492
- Pinkard, N., Erete, S., Martin, C. K., & McKinney de Royston, M. (2017). Digital Youth Divas: Exploring Narrative-Driven Curriculum to Spark Middle School Girls’ Interest in Computational Activities. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 26(3), 477–516. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508406.2017.1307199
