empathy

WHAT IS DESIGN FOR CHANGE?

Design for Change (DFC) is the largest global movement of children and youth driving change in their own communities by unleashing their “I CAN” spirit.

Design for Change equips children with the tools to be aware of the world around them, to believe that they play a role in shaping that world, and to take action towards a more desirable, sustainable future.

Children and youth are empowered to believe that they matter; that change is possible and that they can lead  the change themselves 

Our Core Values

  • Every child matters!
  • We embrace all cultures, religions, causes, languages, genders and ages.
  • We are shamelessly committed to the pursuit of infecting every child in the world with the power of ‘I CAN’.
  • We are optimistic that the world can be a better place and change is possible.
  • Together we can do more, we will collaborate and do what it takes to infect every child with the ‘I CAN’ mindset.

HOW ARE WE DOING IT?

FEEL

imagine

IMAGINE

do

DO

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SHARE

The FIDS framework is a simplified design thinking process that is constructive, adaptive and replicable.   This 4 step FIDS process leads students to understand situations empathetically, imagine solutions and put those solutions into action.

The FIDS framework helps to develop the much required 21st Century Skills in children, builds their social and emotional competencies and promotes employability skills. The most unique feature of the Design for Change initiative is that it is not only simple and constructive, it is adaptable and replicable.

The power of Design Thinking allows both children and adults to transform the world into how they envision it – the power to create a more compassionate, empathetic world. By spreading Design Thinking globally, Design for Change was one of the first organisations to pioneer this progressive way of thinking to schools and children.

BENEFITS OF FIDS!

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WHAT DO THE RESEARCH FINDINGS REVEAL?

Design For Change has been conducting continuous studies to reaffirm the impact of the FIDS approach on the holistic development of children.

DFC along with The Good Project, a research initiative under Project Zero at Harvard Graduate School of Education, conducted research to study the impact of DFC on developing empathy and problem solving.

The Good Project has been able to utilize its expertise in studying ethical thinking and designing curriculum materials to assess the impact of DFC’s educational programs.

The research conducted by The Good Project has reaffirmed the impact of the FIDS approach on the development of skills like collaboration, creative thinking and empathy.

Harvard Research 2009
Harvard Research on DTG guide 2015

The Findings Show

  • That the confidence developed through the project improves academic scores as well.
  • That the DFC curriculum provides students with exposure to important student development areas such as empathetic thinking, problem-solving, confidence, etc in the context of DFC's principles.
  • That the DFC curriculum provides students with exposure to important student development areas such as empathetic thinking, problem-solving, confidence, etc in the context of DFC's principles That the DFC curriculum is inclusive and can be implemented with success in any context to build empathy in children.

STANFORD RESEARCH 2019

A recent study from Stanford, in partnership with INSEAD, looked into the effects of implementing DFC’s design thinking curriculum and FIDS process on children’s creativity.

The Findings Show

  • The design thinking training did not just increase confidence: it also significantly increased ideational fluency and elaboration in a divergent thinking task.
  • The increase in confidence occurred primarily among female students, whereas the increase in ideational fluency and elaboration occurred for both genders.
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