Design Thinking for Social Justice

Design Thinking for Social Justice is an intensive course created by Marianne Bees and Paolo Cozzi for the fall of 2017. Based on the concepts of design thinking, we wanted to encourage students to find their voice about social justice issues that matter to them. Our class relies on group work, which can often be challenging for middle school students. We work with them, providing various techniques and support so that all ideas are shared, respected and heard.

The principles of design thinking are new to our middle school students. They navigate through the process over several months to design an artifact that will change or influence their social justice issue. Over the last two years, we've had student projects which address racism, school suspensions, Muslim discrimination, ageism, homelessness, LGBTQ rights, unconscious stereotypes, female discrimination and gender inequality. Last, but not least, we direct the students to gather data about the prototype they have designed. We walk students through what data looks like, why it matters and different ways to collect data.