Looking for a great learning opportunity for homeschool teens? We love DownCity Design and their cool creative problem solving building projects.
In Design Studio, this 10-week project-based program for homeschool students, learners will tackle a satisfying design/build service project for a public space or community-serving non-profit organization. While reinforcing essential design and engineering skills, they will be cultivating learning behaviors such as collaboration, communication, and creative problem-solving that are applicable to all disciplines.
DownCity Design is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the state of Rhode Island by getting young people involved in building our future. They help students become change-makers by inviting them to design and build things to make their schools and neighborhoods better places to live, work, and learn. In past programs, DownCity Design students have built benches for their schools, greenhouses for community and school gardens, play structures and outdoor classrooms for public parks, and more.
In this programs, experienced Design Educators lead students through the process of identifying and deeply understanding problems, brainstorming and prototyping possible solutions, sharing and refining their ideas, and building solutions. They believe in building habits of mind—imagination, experimentation, reflection, and persistence–that will serve participants well throughout their lives, in any chosen career. They create learning opportunities that are STEAM-rich, student-driven, project-based, and make a tangible impact. Their programs help students learn to analyze and synthesize information, to collaborate and communicate effectively, and to feel empowered to imagine new possibilities for themselves and the world around them. You can hear more about the mission of DownCity Design in this Ted Talk by Co-Founder and Executive Director Adrienne Gagnon.
Program Details:
Who: 18 students ages 13-17
When: 10 weeks (September 28 – December 9, 2015), Wednesdays from 9:30 am -1:30 pm
Where: DownCity Design, located at 425 West Fountain Street in Providence
Cost: Semester fees $500 ($50 per 4-hour class, which includes all materials + supplies and access to our woodworking studio)
Enroll: To register, please visit the DownCity Design website. Payment must be received by September 15, 2015 for enrollment in the program.
Please contact Program Director Melita Morales at 401.272.8070 or melita @ downcitydesign.org with any questions.
