Organization:Design for America
Contents
Overview
Founded in 2009 at Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering, Design for America (DFA) is an organization based on the idea that people cannot innovate without believing in themselves. This principle defines their motivation behind working on a national level to build a network of students who actively create impact at the local level through team projects. Co-founder Dr. Liz Gerber has researched new ways of learning about human centered design called Extracurricular Design-Based Learning (EDBL). This method engages students, community members and partners to think about our biggest challenges that we face in Education, Health, Economy and Environment. I think the best words that summarize this organization's vision is motivation informed by belief in ability. DFA holds the idea that we must believe in our ability to develop and implement innovation solutions that can address the world's challenges.
The organization's goal is to create a network of students working to solve social problems and make a significant impact in their community. Design for American student teams survey their local community and assess the challenges people face. Teams go through all steps of the design process from ideation to viable product development. Student teams are part of studios, or DFA organizations independently run by students on campuses nation wide. Groups of students come together like any other organization on campus and think of problems in their community. They then create teams of 2 to 3 students to take on different projects. Design for America believes that every student has the ability to make an impact and through design innovation students can solve problems in the world around them.
Purpose
Design for America's focus is to create student led design studios that find meaningful ways to create impact in their local communities. DFA has spread to 17 universities throughout the United States and continues to grow with 70 applications this past year. Looking at an individual studio level, students lead an organization on their campus called a studio. Studios are not necessarily physical space but more like a group that comes together to think, design, and innovate. Studios at different universities vary from an actual physical space on campus to classrooms where students can meet. The main idea is that students find projects and create an impact. DFA provides these entities the resources and training needed to be successful as a nascent organization.
From teaching design innovation, DFA hopes to give young adults the experience needed to be team players, purposeful learners, and leaders in every sense of the word. One important aspect is that Design for America has attempted to keep is its student led grass roots atmosphere by using the same formula from Northwestern's studio to build new studios on campuses throughout the United States.
Design_for_America
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7v6mrdC2lQ
Distinct Differences From Other Offerings
The distinct value that Design for America offers is the formation of a campus organization devoted to helping students develop their ideas through working in teams and also using proven methods of designed based learning. DFA also offers studios support through Faculty, Advisors, Professional Design Mentors, Community Partners, and DFA. The key focus and offering of DFA is to create a pipeline of leaders and thinkers that can make an impact. Another distinct difference is their interpretation of impact. DFA wants to broaden the idea of an impact from the traditional sense of starting a new venture, to all types of social impacts. For example, starting a volunteer organization or teaching classes about nutrition in the local community. Lastly, DFA is committed to the continuation of interdisciplinary student teams coming together. Students from all majors and backgrounds play crucial parts on campus studios and bridge the gap between business, science, engineering, and liberal arts.
Since the creation of DFA over 2,000 students have participated in campus studios, 17 campus studios have been created, two start ups (SwipeSense and Jerry the Bear) have come to market and raised $1.5 million in funding. Furthermore, DFA has become nationally recognized through publicity such as New York Times, Chicago Tribue, Forbes, and MIT Technology Review. DFA has received several awards, invites to conferences, and grants. Lastly, DFA reports that employers consistently search out students from DFA campus studio groups for hiring because of their experiences while in DFA .
Impact Achieved For Students and Campus
Student teams work on 2-3 self-selected design projects throughout the academic year and apply skills, knowledge, and expertise from their course work. DFA teaches students how to look at their local community, find problems, think of solutions, and implement those changes.
Students in DFA campus studios usually report that they were able to find and learn more about their passion. Furthermore, students learn important marketable skills for the work place such as, team working abilities, problem solving, creativity, and perseverance. In addition, students enjoy connecting and working with students from across their campuses and outside their majors. Many students enjoy the impact they are able to make while in college, which in many insistences turn into a career path. Below are some of the campuses involved and companies that have started through DFA.
Colleges Involved in Design for America:
- Baltimore
- Barnard | Columbia
- Case Western | CIA
- Cornell
- Duke
- Northwestern
- Rice
- RISD | Brown
- Standford
- UC Berkeley
- UC Davis
- UCLA
- UIUC
- UO Eugene
- Vanderbilt
- Virginia Tech
- Yale
Some Design for America Projects:
- Jerry the Bear- How can we reduce hospitals acquired infections?
- Right Angle- How can we help diabetic children care for themselves?
- Swipe Sense- How can we use less water to wash dishes in a cafeteria?
- Fruit Buddi- How can we encourage and reward healthy snack choices?
- SEE[K]- How can we encourage alternative forms of transportation?
- Melo Sense- How can we increase play among children with non-verbal autism?
- Hot Dorms- How can we reduce waste heat energy in dorms?
- Helmet For- How can we encourage riders to wear their helmets?
- Bottle Share- How can we reduce the waste on college campuses ?
- Tinker Turf- How can we create an exhibit that empower children to tinker?
- Luna Lights- How can we reduce the risk of falling for older adults?
- Blue Button Narrative- How can we make medical records more intuitive?
http://designforamerica.com/projects/
Steps Required To Bring Resource to Campus
In order to bring this resource to campus student leaders need to learn the application process of Design for America.
- Contact Design for America and start the DFA application
- Student Leaders attend conference in August to receive training from Design for America
- Student leaders must identify a group of 30 students interested in Design for America
- Charter a Design for America studio on campus
- Identify 1- 10 projects for the studio
- Identify community partners
- Start one project and go through design process
- Final Interview and selection
http://designforamerica.com/get-involved/students/apply/
Contact Information
To get more information visit Design for America's website
To get in contact with the Design for America team submit a request or start the application process
http://designforamerica.com/contact/
Visit them on social media!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designforamerica
Linkedin or Twitter
