Congo Design Challenge

The Congo Design Challenge was a very special project that unfolded in the last part of the school year at West Tech. In an age where teens spend hours using technology to entertain themselves through gaming, social media, and texting, it is important to teach students that they can also use technology to make a difference in the world.  I developed this project by starting with the design principles and process from the Stanford Design School and Ideo.  It was my first time using this process and I found it intriguing as students followed the steps to create a meaningful solution to a problem of their choosing.  Students had the opportunity to videoconference with relief workers and former child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and were then challenged to create a social entrepreneurship that solved a problem related to their program field which ranged from Engineering and Environmental Science to Nursing and Biomedical Sciences.  Students were required to develop a website that showcased their research and ideas as well as demonstrate how they would use technology as part of their solution.  Students presented their social entrepreneurships and websites at the Path Forward Exhibition that brought in community members, staff, and parents to listen to their ideas.  As part of the Path Forward Exhibition, students took part in the One Million Bones initiative where they created bones to raise awareness of ongoing genocide around the world.  For each bone created, a dollar is donated to CARE, an organization that works to improve conditions in developing countries.  The freshman class made over 2,500 bones.  The bones will travel to Washington D.C. and be a part of a large scale art installation to be displayed on the national mall in June 2013.   At the end of a year of teaching students how to use technology, my goal isn’t that students are the masters of any specific technology, but that they will learn how to use technology to be productive, professional individuals who make a difference in the world.  The Congo Design Challenge was the culminating project in Computer-Based Projects course where students had to use technology to do just that. Here is what some of the students had to say about the project:

“The Congo Design challenge, was, well, challenging. However, it was a great experience, and I am so thankful that I was able to be a part of it. I learned so much and was greatly inspired by my peers. I enjoyed many parts of this project, like creating the website layout and making the bones out of Crayola clay, and I found it really cool how my six bones would be a part of something huge in Washington D.C.    Ultimately, this project that took about a month to complete was time consuming, challenging, but most of all, enlightening. I hope that the ideas of a few 15-year-olds explode into something better, so we can give Congo the care it deserves.” -Blair B, 9th grade.

“Mahatma Ghandi said, ‘You must be the change you wish to see in the world.’ As pretty as that sounds, it’s a bit overwhelming to a teenager. Of course, we all want to make a difference. However, not many teenagers, myself included, have the slightest clue how to go about changing the world. However, in the Congo Design Challenge, I got the chance to see how to break that down into a reality.  We made a website, a video PSA, a Prezi, a tri-fold display, a banner, bracelets, water-bottle labels, invitations, and did tons of research in order to create a well-made presentation. All the hard work paid off when we set up our project at West Tech’s A Path Forward exhibition.  I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to answer the visitors’ questions, but all my research was worth it when I could fully explain our project. All the students had their campaigns together in the exhibition and it was amazing to see the eagerness and excitement about helping others. We were all reminded just how blessed we are in America, and how we all have the power to make a difference in the lives of others; we simply have to decide whether we’re willing to put forth the effort to do so.”  -Katrina M, 9th Grade

“I feel that the entire Congo exhibition was an incredible experience, and a memory I won’t soon forget. Yes, it was a whole lot of work, but the end results were phenomenal. The feeling of being a part of something bigger than myself truly inspired me and my only hope is that those who came to see the presentations got as much out of them as I did.” -Devante G, 9th Grade
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To learn more about the Congo Design Challenge and see the Social Entrepreneurship sites created by the students, you can visit these links:
Project Website
Student Requirements:

• Congo Design Challenge Overview
• Group Design Challenge Steps
• Group Contract Requirements

Sample Deliverables from Students:

Student Website
Student PSA