An innovative new workshop from KCAD is immersing a diverse group of 15 Michigan high school students in solving “wicked problems” through the lens of whole-systems design thinking, sustainability and the circular economy.
The high school summer workshop has deep roots — and opens up new ways to teach about sustainability.
Since 2013, the Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD) has inspired students to envision a sustainable future through its international design competition, Wege Prize. For the first time, the organizers have expanded outside of the university level, introducing the program called Wege Prize High School | Collaborative Studio.
The innovative, two-week high school workshop launches this week, involving a blue-ribbon team of expert teachers for the high school students from nine schools in West Michigan. The program is organized by KCAD’s Wege Center for Sustainable Design, with support from the Wege Foundation.
Researching and learning about real wicked problems facing the West Michigan area, the students will form three teams and grow their learning experiences into strong design concepts that show promise for further study, prototyping, and real-world testing. In the process, a dozen-plus experts will share their work on regional challenges including the Grand River restoration, countywide waste management systems, youth hunger, universal access to parks and recreation and more.
According to KCAD’s Gayle DeBruyn, the students will learn about the current linear economic system, in which people “take, make, and dispose,” and explore circular solutions that mimic living systems to form a restorative and regenerative economy by eliminating waste and reusing valuable resources. Their final presentations will be live-streamed.
“The powerful learning model of Wege Prize is now available to high school students in a two-week, active learning experience with facilitated collaborative groups and highly qualified instructors,” says Gayle DeBruyn, KCAD professor and Wege Prize organizer. “These students will devise their own solutions to wicked regional problems through the design process, and present their work to community leaders.”
The participating experts, representing leadership in varied areas, are taking students inside their work to solve wicked problems in their communities and beyond. Experiences include:
- Visiting the farm for Kids’ Food Basket for a primer on urban growing and equitable food access, hosted by Founding CEO Bridget Clark-Whitney.
- Exploring the universal design of Clemente Park with Dave Marquardt, Grand Rapids Director of Parks and Recreation.
- Going behind the scenes of the Grand River Restoration with Wendy Ogilvie, Director of Environmental Program of Grand Valley Metro Council.
- Understanding the innerworkings of the Kent County Eco Industrial Park, with Kristen Wieland of the Department of Public Works.
- Connecting with Padnos and their work on ocean plastics and large-scale recycling, with Service Experience Manager Kari Bliss.
- Attending a business planning workshop led by Christian Czernik, designer and member of past Wege Prize winner Further Food.
- An introduction to biophilia, a design approach powered by humans’ innate tendency to seek connections with nature, from designer Tom Newhouse.
Adds DeBruyn, “Along the way, Wege Prize High School | Collaborative Studio participants will build skills, knowledge, experience, and professional connections that will expand their career opportunities and inspire them to become more actively engaged with the world around them.”
About Wege Prize
Wege Prize, a West Michigan-born concept developed by Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University’s (KCAD’s) Wege Center for Sustainable Design with the support of The Wege Foundation, is an annual competition that ignites games-changing solutions for the future by inspiring college students around the world to collaborate across institutional, disciplinary, and cultural boundaries and redesign the way economies work. To learn more, go to wegeprize.org.
About KCAD
Located in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD) is committed to creating lasting impact in West Michigan and beyond through collaborative partnerships, cultural innovation, and an educational model that prepares students for leadership in design, the visual arts, and art history; provides innovative, collaborative education that fosters intellectual growth and individual creativity; and promotes the ethical and civic responsibilities of artists and designers, locally and globally. For more information, please visit kcad.edu.
About The Wege Foundation
Planting seeds that develop leaders in economicology, health, education, and arts, and enhance the lives of people in West Michigan and around the world. For more information, please visit wegefoundation.com.