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Inspire your students and help them become change agents

We believe in the power of education to transform lives and change the world.

You, as a teacher, have more influence than you might think and more power than you believe in creating a better future for all.

As a teacher, you can help the young generation develop the skills and mindset that would empower them to create a better world for everyone. 

Therefore, GIFT and Glittering Minds have collaborated to bring you “The Gift of Innovation”. This program helps you create a unique and innovative learning environment in your classroom that develops your students' special 21st-century skills and more. 

In 2023, we bring you a Project-Based-Learning that empowers your students to become change agents and drive a more sustainable environment at their schools.

In this project, your students will work on this question-

How might we design a more sustainable school?

In addition to enabling your students to implement positive environmental changes, they can present their journey and outcomes as part of the prestigious international GIFT events.

 

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. 

 

Who is it for

This project is designed for k-12 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!

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Learning goals

As a result of facilitating this project, your students will be able to-

  • Plan research (From grade 3 onwards)

  • Create an interview guide (From grade 3 onwards)

  • Perform an interview (From grade 3 onwards)

  • Examine and organise information

  • Compare different pieces of data

  • Identify similarities and differences in information

  • Drive new insights and understanding from research data 

  • Develop new ideas

  • Assess and critique ideas

  • Work well with others

  • Explain their thinking

  • Argue their point of view

  • Produce a prototype for their idea (From grade 3 onwards)

  • Seek feedback for their ideas (From grade 3 onwards)

  • Improve their products as a result of receiving feedback (From grade 3 onwards)

  • Understand and discuss what it means to be sustainable (green)

  • Understand and discuss the design process (From grade 3 onwards)

  • Apply the design process to solve problems and obtain valid solutions

 

Alignment with the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals

This project aligns with the below UN SDGs –

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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.   

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“The GIFT of Innovation” pack includes the following–

  1. “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. 

  2. “How might we design a more sustainable school? – Project plan” This document contains your detailed project plan, including an assessment rubric. 

  3. “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

  4. 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.  

  5. A certificate of Achievement template – you will use this template to provide your students who presented at a GIFT event a certificate of achievement.

 

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What do you need to facilitate this project-

  • “The GIFT of Innovation” pack

  • 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

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Here is what educators say about Glittering Minds projects-

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Want to amplify your impact and help your students design a more sustainable school?
Purchase this comprehensive pack now for only $15 USD.
Click on the suitable image below to start a fantastic adventure with your students!

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