DESIGN // BUILD // EXPLORE

Design build explore is a year long student lead investigation into the creation, design, construction, and installation of a project that focuses student efforts on completing a project for their community. Through this exploration it is my hope that students uncover skills not tested before and see that they can enact real change in their own communities.

YEAR ONE:

This short class only ran in the Spring semester as the pilot class for the program. Over the half year students were asked to develop a shelving system for the Delhi Food Bank. This short and relatively easy project allowed students to quickly access, develop and implement changes to the space provided at the food pantry.

YEAR TWO:

Year two saw both an increase in the overall budget and scope of the project. Over the course of an entire school year five sixth grade students we challenged to design and construct a new playground feature in their local town playground. Through this activity students were able to connect with the object of their design and interact with the final installation.

YEAR THREE:

Year three is underway and will be an extension of the previous years explorations. As the Town of Delhi looks to expand the playground we have been tasked with getting students to develop the creation of a new sign and seating for the playground. This investigation will challenge students to access the current work and determine what would be best for their own project.

DOCUMENTATION:

Looking for some design exercises for your own classes then look no further. The documentation below is some of the resources that I use on a regular basis.

STOOL CONSTRUCTION

This project is a go to when teaching students about proper tool use and can be completed in about three hours or two sessions of a hour and a half.