Building Faith, Growth, and Community: Young Designers for Change

Teacher presents the project purpose in Activity 1, explaining how students will use design thinking to solve real challenges in their community while working with an international partner class

Students learn about the nine-phase design thinking process through a simple visual roadmap showing each step from problem discovery to celebration

Teacher connects the project to Islamic values, sustainable agriculture, and civic responsibility, helping students understand how these three areas connect to solving community problems

Students discuss what they already know about challenges in their neighborhood related to farming, community roles, and Islamic principles

Students create short introduction videos (30-60 seconds) showing their names, families, homes, and one thing they like about their community

Each class posts their videos on the project board for the partner classroom to view and respond to

Students watch partner class videos and write down 3 observations about their partner's community (e.g., 'They have rice farms' or 'Their houses look different')

Students participate in an asynchronous Q&A session using the group chat, asking their partners questions about daily life, school, and community

Teams collaborate to create a digital mural using Padlet or Canva showing both communities side by side, with photos, drawings, and fun facts from both classes

Students conduct simple interviews with 2-3 family members or community members, asking questions like 'What farming happens near your home?', 'What jobs help our community?', and 'What Islamic values do you practice daily?'

Students take walks through their neighborhood to observe local farming practices, community spaces, and activities, documenting observations with drawings or photos

Each student creates an empathy map (simple drawing showing what people see, hear, feel, and do) for someone affected by challenges in their community

Students compile their findings into a visual problem map showing where challenges happen in their neighborhood (e.g., marking farms, community centers, schools)

Students post their discoveries on the project board with photos and notes, then read and discuss what their partner class discovered about their community

Students review all their empathy findings and interview notes, highlighting the most important discoveries about agriculture, civic needs, and Islamic values in their community

Teams create simple cause diagrams (drawing arrows showing what causes problems) and develop 3-5 'How might we...?' questions (e.g., 'How might we help farmers grow more food?' or 'How might we teach our community about Islamic values?')

Students work with their partner class using the group chat to share their 'How might we...?' questions and discuss which problems affect both communities

Together with the partner class, students agree on one shared problem statement that describes who is affected, what the problem is, and why it matters

Teams document success criteria by listing what a good solution should do (e.g., 'Help 20 families' or 'Use Islamic principles')

Students use brainstorming techniques to generate 15-30 ideas for solutions that combine Islamic principles, sustainable farming, and civic action, drawing sketches or writing descriptions of each idea

Teams organize similar ideas into groups and give each group a name (e.g., 'Education Ideas' or 'Farming Ideas')

Students evaluate their ideas using a simple matrix, scoring each idea on impact (how many people it helps), creativity (how new it is), and feasibility (how easy it is to do)

Teams share their top 5 ideas on the project board, and the partner class responds using 'Yes, and...' technique to build on each other's ideas (e.g., 'Yes, a community garden is great, and we could add a water system')

Students jointly select 2-3 finalist ideas with their partner class, writing down clear reasons why these ideas could work best

Students construct simple prototypes of their selected ideas using recycled materials, cardboard, clay, or digital tools like Canva, creating versions that clearly show how the solution works

Each team documents their prototype with photos and a short video (30-60 seconds) explaining what the solution is, how it works, and who it helps

Students present their prototypes to the partner class through recorded video demonstrations or a live video call, answering questions about their design

Partner class provides feedback on the prototypes using the group chat, suggesting improvements and sharing what they like about the ideas

Teams create improved versions (2.0) of their prototypes, incorporating the international feedback and making the solutions clearer or more effective

Students present their prototypes to target users in their community (classmates, family members, teachers, local farmers, or community leaders), observing and noting their reactions

Teams conduct structured interviews with 3-5 users, asking questions like 'What do you like about this solution?', 'What is confusing?', and 'How could we make it better?'

Students create simple feedback surveys with 3-4 questions and collect responses from community members, recording answers on paper or using a Google Form

Teams analyze all feedback to find patterns (e.g., 'Most people said the solution is easy to use' or 'Everyone wanted it to be cheaper')

Students create improved versions (2.0) of their prototypes based on testing feedback and compare their testing results with the partner class to understand how context changed their solutions

Students organize a local Solution Showcase or Innovation Fair in their school, setting up displays of their final prototypes with colorful posters explaining the problem and solution

Each team delivers a 3-5 minute pitch to the school community, explaining the problem they found, their design process, the solution, testing results, and how it helps their community

Students create informational materials (flyers, posters, or digital slides using Canva) to share their solutions with families and community members

Both classes conduct a joint virtual celebration using a video call where each team presents their final solution to the partner class, comparing how their different communities shaped their approaches

Students co-create a compilation video documenting the complete design journey from problem discovery through testing to final solutions, posted on the project board for families to view

Students engage in guided reflection through discussion, journaling, or short video reflections, answering questions like 'What did we learn about solving real-world problems?', 'How did our solution change?', and 'What was most challenging?'

Each student completes a self-assessment evaluating their own critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and understanding of Islamic values, agriculture, and civic responsibility

Teams conduct peer feedback sessions where classmates highlight each other's strengths and suggest improvements, using the group chat to share kind and helpful comments

Students exchange final reflections with the partner class, reading and responding to their peers' learning insights through the project board

Both classes collaborate to create a shared digital mural (using Padlet or Canva) of design thinking takeaways from both contexts, celebrating what they learned together about solving global challenges locally