ARS BALTICA's partner, the CCI Contact Desk, together with the Vivita Invention and Prototyping Labs, launched a pilot project aimed at creating innovative resources for students focused on global education.
Why and for whom? Creative projects are integral parts of the national curriculum for students in 9th grade. However, students often need help selecting engaging topics, and teachers need help overseeing all creative endeavors effectively.
The Ilmapilk programme targets students in grades 7-9, providing them with a design thinking, problem-solving approach to creative projects. In this pilot initiative, we're developing a toolbox for world education topics, enabling students to explore these themes playfully. Additionally, supportive materials will be provided for teachers to facilitate mentoring. Through this pilot, we aim to identify and address any obstacles in the creative process, enhancing the resources collaboratively with input from both students and teachers for mutual benefit.
What does the material/toolbox consist of? The toolbox comprises cases, problem-solving techniques, and design-thinking tools tailored to world education. Each section includes worksheets, video tutorials, and guiding questions to aid students when they encounter creative blocks.
Why World Education? The programme aims to foster global awareness among young people and inspire their involvement in local and international issues. It strives to bring distant global challenges closer to students by aligning creative projects with global education themes. Through partnerships with Vivita Studios worldwide, students gain insights into how these issues impact different communities. For instance, topics like "The climate crisis and its impact on me and the world around me" with examples such as the Hawaii forest fires from Vivita Hawaii or "My home country generates more than a third of the plastic waste in the world's oceans" from Vivita Philippines provide real-world context, etc.
Students will learn to leverage the design process to solve problems creatively. Alongside Vivita's team of mentors, external experts will support and inspire the children.
Programme Details: The programme started with a "Start" day on 16.02.24 in Tallinn in February and concludes with a "Demo" day in May. Over twelve weeks, participants will undergo a six-part design process, accessible online to accommodate students from diverse locations. Each part comprises 10-day cycles, with new task introductions, instructions, and worksheets provided at the outset. Students are expected to dedicate 30-60 minutes weekly to independent creative work.
Participation is free for both students and teachers. This project is supported by the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV).
Links to the project partners' respective websites: CCI Contact Desk and Vivita
