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The Senior Producer's role makes Matt responsible for the successful execution of the project and enables him to bring a huge number of design, business and environmental experts to Cornwall to mentor and spend time with the Duchy's greatest commodity: the young minds in its schools.
As a project funded by Convergence and the European Social Fund, the Design Council would like to see the Eco Design Challenge adopted into the 12-13-year-old curriculum across the EU. A successful role out in Cornwall is imperative to make its wider adoption a reality. As a result, Matt and DOTT are calling all Year-8 and Year-10 teachers in Cornwall to get in contact with Chris (in the role of Project Coordinator) at the Leap studio as soon as possible.
Letters are going out to schools over the next week or so that should give headteachers an insight into how the 'Challenge will complement and enhance their Year-8 pupils' experience. The letter will also enclose an invitation to an Inspiration Day for their chosen 'Challenge Champion. This event will be held on 20th November and will incorporate a series of workshops where all the teachers will pool their precious experience and inspire each other to incorporate as much of the project as they can into their future lesson plans.
With the backing of the UK Design Council, the day will also include a keynote speech from a world-renown sustainable design expert at the forefront of green and ethical design. He (or she) will be on hand throughout the day to provide insight and the context that the next generation of cutting-edge designers will graduate into and what the ultimate aim of their careers will be.
The project is highly modular and can be taken in pieces or in its entirety. It begins with Year-8 pupils measuring a wide range of their school’s impacts upon the natural environment. They are then asked to interpret the data and discuss where improvements might be made. After Christmas, teachers will select one or a series of small projects that will enhance their pupil’s design practice and prepare them for the final project, which is to design a product or process-based solution to reduce their schools environmental impact. The best ideas will then be ‘pitched’ to Year-10 business and enterprise pupils who’s ‘Challenge will be to design a strategy to make a business case for their chosen solution. This latter part will form part of Enterprise Week during July 2010 and will mark the end of the project. Each school will then submit its best design to compete for a grand prize.
Design of the Times was run in 2007 in the North East of England and proved very successful in engaging with communities, releasing their creative potential and making everybody positive about future challenges facing humanity.
For more information about DOTT’07 please go to: www.dott07.com
For more information about DOTT Cornwall please go to: www.dottcornwall.com
For more information about the Eco Design Challenge or sign your school up to the ‘Challenge, please go to: www.ecodesignchallenge.co.uk