Youth Taking the Reins

Empowering At-Risk Teens to Shape Environmental Challenges through Design Thinking

Abstract

“Design thinking”is a creative teaching and learning approach that prioritizes observation, problem-framing, and hands-on prototyping. Compared to conventional methods of classroom instruction, design thinking has been shown to boost students’ comprehension of complicated problems. Yet, few studies have examined its potential to support at-risk students in analyzing the complex environmental challenges disproportionately impacting their lives and neighborhoods, such as urban water availability. Using Los Angeles’ drought as a case study, this field report outlinesand evaluatesa design thinking initiative for equipping high-school-age, at-risk students with an ability to understand and propose solutions to the city’s water challenges.