For the first time, Greece is participating in the international “Design for Change” event with the 11th Primary School of Korydallos. This event, titled “Be the Change – Celebration,” is the largest movement created by children and for children and will take place in Dubai from November 21 to 24, 2024. This global movement, which empowers and activates children, started in India and now counts more than seventy member countries worldwide. This year, it has also launched in Greece, with the initiative of the World Human Forum.
The “Design for Change” movement is supported by enthusiastic and dedicated individuals – educators, parents, community leaders, artists, athletes, social entrepreneurs, and others – who aim to instill the belief of “I CAN” in every child. The school from Korydallos, which participated in the pilot program of Design for Change – Greece along with other schools, was chosen to represent Greece because of the unique and effective solutions that its students created to address the vehicle parking issues in the Korydallos area. Three students and their supervising teacher will attend the 4th gathering to present the program they designed and implemented and to meaningfully exchange experiences, ideas, and perspectives on culture, life, and everyday life with students from other countries.
“The essence and uniqueness of this program is that it motivates people – in this case, children – to create their own conditions and frameworks for society rather than simply ‘settling’ for existing systems that often don’t work. It is inspiration, interaction, and participation at their best and most progressive form,” stated Dr. Anezina Solomonidou, Planetologist, Special Scientist at the Hellenic Space Center, and Greece’s representative for the World Human Forum.
With the simple and effective model “Feel, Imagine, Do, Share” (FIDS), children worldwide gain the skills to design a better and more sustainable future – and to unlock the superpower of “I CAN” starting today! Based on the principles of design thinking, the FIDS model encourages children to “FEEL” (observe and recognize a situation that bothers them), “IMAGINE” (think of a way to change it), “DO” (work in teams to implement their solution), and “SHARE” (share their solution with the world), inspiring others to say “I CAN.”
This event is a unique opportunity for students to leave their positive mark on the world by showcasing their work on an international stage. It also allows them to be inspired and contribute to spreading the message that everyone can be a driver of positive change, while enhancing their creative thinking, leadership skills, and promoting innovation in education.
For more information about the program, click here.
Discover here a series of interactive educational activities to implement FIDS with your children. Download all the tools to inspire your children to unlock the superpowers of the “I CAN” belief!
Special thanks to Aegean Airlines for supporting the World Human Forum in representing Greece at the international “Design for Change” program gathering.
