Let your students become the architects of change in their communities and environment with Design a Sustainable School Project-Based Learning. Unlock the potential of your students and equip them with STEM education, design thinking and problem-solving tools to become inspiring innovators and confident leaders. 
No prior knowledge of Design Thinking is required.
 
With Design a Sustainable School, your students will have the opportunity to propose and implement real solutions that promote sustainability and leave a lasting impact. They'll develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will stay with them long after they leave school. By using Design Thinking, you will empower your students to drive positive change in their local communities and beyond.
 
Introducing your students to a powerful, creative process in a collaborative, student-centred learning environment is the best way to prepare them for an increasingly complex world. Invest in your students' futures and give them the skills they need to become tomorrow's leaders and innovators – with Design a Sustainable School.
 
The curriculum covers topics like understanding the effects of human impact on the environment and designing solutions to promote sustainability. With this project, your students learn to take ownership of their surroundings and strive for positive change.
 
Design a Sustainable School Project-Based Learning is a powerhouse of knowledge that will engage your students. It's the perfect way to ignite their passion for learning and develop the skills they need to make a lasting impact on their environment.
 
Who is it for
This project is designed for teachers who want to help their students –
  ✅ Develop their 21st-century skills
  ✅ Become excellent problem-solvers
  ✅ Have a voice and agency over their learning
  ✅ Become global citizens
  ✅ Drive positive change within their communities
  ✅ Experience world learning
  ✅ Learn about sustainability
  ✅ Design a more sustainable school 
  ✅ Present their journey on a global platform
 
(You don’t need to have any specific prior knowledge to facilitate this project)
If the above sounds like you, this project is exactly what you are looking for!
 
This pack is called "The GIFT of Innovation 2023" - as this is a collaboration between Glittering Minds and GIFT.
GIFT is a quarterly, online, 24-hour, multi-country collaboration, celebrating young innovators and those who educate, inspire, and promote innovation.
It is a platform that enables young innovators to share their stories with the world.
As part of purchasing this pack, your students will be able to present their learning journey and outcomes at a GIFT event. (They will present on a global scale!)
 
About GIFT
Inspiring world-learning, the Global Innovation Field Trip (GIFT) is the quarterly, online, 24-hour, multi-country collaboration celebrating young innovators and those who educate, inspire and promote innovation. Promising to fill you with inspiration, hope and reassurance that our future is in good hands, these K-12 innovators share their short stories of innovation with the world.
 
At the time of writing this page, 1,161 innovators from 56 countries gave 763 presentations on a wide variety of creative, new and innovative topics and projects.
The Global Innovation Field Trip is the GIFT you can give your students. It is the GIFT that celebrates your student’s innovative thinking on a big scale.
Learn more about GIFT here. 
 
 
“The GIFT of Innovation” pack includes the following–
“The GIFT of Innovation 2023” - is this project's overarching document. This document includes information on how to facilitate this project, what Design Thinking is, What GIFT is, how to register your students for a GIFT event and more! This document is your starting point. (This document includes 23 pages)
“How might we design a more sustainable school? – Project plan” This document contains your detailed project plan, including an assessment rubric.  (This document includes 48 slides)
“How might we design a more sustainable school? – Facilitation slides” – these are the slides you can use in your classroom to support you with the facilitation of this project. (This document includes 36 slides)
A GIFT journal template – if you want your students to present their project at one of the GIFT events, you can use this template to create the journal required for submission.  
A certificate of Achievement template – you will use this template to provide your students who presented at a GIFT event a certificate of achievement.
 
 
Learning goals
As a result of facilitating this project, your students will be able to-
✅ Examine and organise information
✅ Compare different pieces of data
✅ Drive new insights and understanding from research data 
✅ Develop new ideas
✅ Assess and critique ideas
✅ Work well with others
✅ Explain their thinking
✅ Understand and discuss what it means to be sustainable (green)
✅ Apply the design process to solve problems and obtain valid solutions
 
This project’s framework
This project uses Design Thinking as the teaching framework.
As you might know, many research papers have declared Design Thinking to be the 21st-century pedagogy.
These studies found that Design Thinking students develop collaborative problem-solving skills, creative and critical thinking, empathy, social skills, teamwork skills, and a growth mindset. Furthermore, they concluded that Design Thinking challenges students to find solutions to complex problems and supports students' academic performances. 
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They also affirm that Design Thinking educators can make a lasting impact on students' life skills by teaching them this process. It supports using Design Thinking as a teaching framework, as it offers strategies for improving teaching and learning, expanding and enhancing teachers’ capabilities, and improving students’ academic performances.
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These research papers conclude that exposure to Design Thinking education lays a solid foundation that would benefit all children, leading to greater engagement at school and contributing to their future success in their professional lives.
 
You don’t need to have any prior Design Thinking knowledge to facilitate this project, as this project’s plan includes an elaborated step-by-step guide to ensure a successful and enjoyable teaching experience.  
 
What do you need to facilitate this project-
 
✅ A computer or laptop and a monitor you can use in your classroom
✅ A4 papers
✅ Blu-tac
✅ Post-it notes (preferable)
✅ Pen/pencils for your students
 
What is the duration of this project?
You control the duration of this project.
You can facilitate it in 2-3 weeks, or take your students on a deeper learning journey and facilitate this project over a term!