Flourishing Youth Academy
Join us for the inaugural launch of the Flourishing Youth Academy (FYA) with our 8-week Design Thinking for Future Changemakers course, tailored for youth aged 10-13. This prototype course will convene in-person on Thursday evenings from February 6th to March 27, 2025.
We are excited to invite your child to participate in Flourishing Youth Academy’s Design Thinking for Future Changemakers course. As part of the inaugural cohort, participants have been handpicked to beta-test this innovative program which will be offered at no cost in exchange for your invaluable feedback on its content, delivery, timing, promotion, and pricing. You and your child’s insights will play a pivotal role in refining and shaping the final version of the course!
This is a unique opportunity for your child to benefit from our innovative curriculum while providing valuable feedback to help us create an impactful, engaging experience for future participants. In return, we ask for honest input and feedback from both participants and parents through surveys, discussions, and open-ended feedback sessions.
Your insights will ensure this program becomes a world-class experience that equips young people to thrive, grow, and lead with purpose. Thank you for partnering with us on this exciting journey!
No cost for participants; your contribution is in testing the course and offering valuable feedback!
Enrollment is invitation-only for the 2025 Winter Course’s beta test and is limited to 9 participants.
Upon completion, each child will earn an official FYA certificate and possible credit towards community service hour requirements.
Course Overview:
Design Thinking for Future Changemakers is a hands-on learning course where each module teaches key principles of design thinking and the science of well-being. Participants will collaborate as one cohesive design team, applying knowledge gained and leveraging their unique character strengths to solve a meaningful, real-world challenge.
Age Group: 10-13 years
Duration: 8 weeks
Schedule: Once a week, in-person, on Thursday evenings (location TBD)
Date Range: February 6 to March 27 2024
Cost: Free (in exchange for feedback and testing)
Capacity: Limited to 9 participants (invitation only)
Outcome: FYA Certificate and possible community service hour credits
Weekly Breakdown:
Week 1: Introduction to Design Thinking & Character Strengths
Participants are introduced to the fundamentals of design thinking and explore how character strengths lay the foundation for creativity and problem-solving. The session includes the launch of the design team, learning about team-building best practices and a fun activity to name the team!
Week 2: Building Team Dynamics & Exploring Character Strengths
Team-building activities take center stage as participants deepen their understanding of individual character strengths and learn how to combine them effectively. Communication, cooperation, and trust are fostered to strengthen team dynamics.
Week 3: Empathy, Insights, and Introducing the Design Challenge
Participants develop skills to gather meaningful insights by practicing empathy and exploring the perspectives of others. The real-life design challenge is unveiled, and the team begins analyzing its context and significance.
Week 4: Exploring the Design Challenge
With insights in hand, the team works collaboratively to clearly understand and articulate the design challenge as a How Might We question, which sets up the focus and direction for the solution development process.
Week 5: Brainstorming Creative Solutions
A variety of ideation techniques are introduced to help generate innovative and impactful ideas. The team works together to refine and organize their solutions in preparation for prototyping.
Week 6: Reviewing and Selecting a Prototype
Concepts take shape as the team reviews all proposed solutions, evaluates their feasibility, and selects a prototype to develop further. Discussions focus on the strengths, challenges, and potential impact of each idea.
Week 7: Testing and Iteration—Improving Through Feedback
The team presents their prototype to gather feedback. Insights from this process guide refinements and improvements to ensure the solution is practical and impactful.
Week 8: Showcase, Feedback, and Celebration
The program concludes with a presentation to parents, showcasing the team’s journey and their final solution. Participants and parents share their feedback on the program which is followed by a celebration!