HIFED DT Team at People of Color Conference
The People of Color Conference is the flagship of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). This conference was designed to support leadership, professional development and networking for all diversity advocates and allies and to support equity and justice in all independent schools.
The HI FusionED (HIFED) Design Thinking team was invited to the conference to present how Design Thinking can be a powerful tool that engages diverse groups in designing innovative solutions for complex challenges. The workshop provided tools that combined empathy and creativity in developing user-centric solutions to address school and classroom challenges. It focused on the theory behind a culturally responsive framework and included concrete take-homes for participants to begin innovation work at their schools.
The Conference was held in Indianapolis, IN, with participants from all across the nation – even from Hawaii! Most were Directors of Diversity (Equity and Justice); some were school administrators and yet others were classroom educators. All came with an open mind and willingness to work with us during this 8-hour session. Everyone was highly engaged throughout this active, collaborative workshop and most left with enthusiasm and great anticipation of implementing Design Thinking principles. The HIFED team will be following up with those who expressed a desire to carry on culturally-responsive Design Thinking protocols at their schools.
It was an incredible opportunity and learning experience for HIFED. Thanks to conference coordinators for the invitation and to the hard-working attendees. Hope to be there again next year!