About Designathon Works: "Empowering children to design a better world"
Their mission is to unleash the creativity of 1 million children, enabling them to become changemakers for a better future. During a design-a-thon workshop, children learn to design, prototype and present their solutions to the SDGs.
With constant innovation in technologies like genetics, robotics, nanotech, and information technology, we can expect great changes to many aspects of our lives in the coming years. How can we prepare the nearly 2 billion children of school-going age to prosper in a rapidly changing and increasingly technological world? How can we help them to consider the challenges of their generation, and to design a better world for themselves and for the planet?
Designathon Works, are working to meet these challenges by developing and sharing our unique Designathon method in classrooms and after school programs around the world. This future-ready method allows children to conceptualize, build, and present their solutions to social and environmental issues based on the UN's list of Sustainable Development Goals. The method includes access to easy-to-understand teaching materials for ages 6 to 14, and guides children to apply their knowledge in math, science, and technology to develop a set of skills to help them design innovative solutions for a better future.
In addition, the Designathon method focuses on the individuality of each child - regardless of background, race, or level of ability - recognizing that every child is unique and has something valuable to contribute. Designathon Works is a non-profit entity.
Global Children's Designathon 2023: an international challenge for children on restoring biodiversity on 25th March
During the Global Children’s Designathon (GCD) 2023 children (ages 8-12) will learn about biodiversity: what it is, what the main causes of the loss in biodiversity are and how it affects the planet and the future of all living things. In order to maintain a focus with such a broad topic, across species and ecosystems we will focus on two main ecosystems:
Our cities where many small animals, birds and insects live and where there is much room for innovation towards a convivial form of life. Convivial as in living together with respect for humans and all other forms of life at the same time.
National parks and reservations where wildlife can be found. Here too we will zoom in on the concept of conviviality and learn from indigenous peoples practices where they have lived together with other life forms for centuries.
Global Children Design-a-thon 2022
Theme: Our Planet, Our Future Report
Global Children Design-a-thon 2021
In the event, which focuses on one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals every year, this year, children focus on the theme of "Clean Energy and Climate" and together with their peers from 22 cities around the world, " How can we produce enough clean energy for everyone and protect our planet?" They are looking for an answer to the question. From Amsterdam to Zagreb in between Accra, Belgrade, Chengdu, Chennai, Daloa, Dar es Salaam, Dehradun, Eskinsehir, Hanoi, Harnosand, Istanbul, Kathmandu, Kayseri, Nairobi, Panjim, Paris, Sundsvall, Tunis, Warsaw are the world's 22 different cities.
There are things that we can do to reduce our carbon footprint with respect to mostly energy and take climate action.
Global Children Designathon 2019
Partner with Designathon Works, The Netherlands for GCD 2019 held in the Dehradun at the HRDEF’s campus. Students learned about design and do-it-yourself methodology. The event main focus was on zero hunger, climate action, food wastage, land use (SDG 2, 3, 12, 13, 15). Students developed various prototypes with creativity, innovation from support of facilitators, mentors. They presented their work with joy and insight using design, technology in a Maker way. The power of the Designathon method lies in the combination of scientific knowledge, creative thinking, world problems, making and reflecting.