Equitable Schools Student Design Challenge

 

“Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets,” writes scholar and author Dr. W. Edwards Deming. When we apply that logic to our schools, we see an education system that was successfully designed to produce inequitable outcomes. This is not a surprise to most educators or students, but it is a challenge that must be tackled.


In order to redesign the education system, it is of utmost importance that students’ voices are placed at the center.

 

In Construct’s Equitable Schools Challenge, we will connect your students with real people working on this issue—from DEI experts to Designers, from school leaders to community activists. In the end, your students will design solutions to equity-based challenges in their school community.

We’ve run the Equitable Schools Design Challenge in schools across Oregon, and these are some questions that students have explored...

 

How might we improve the experience for Black students at our school?

Black Student Union

David Douglas High School (2019)

How might we create an environment where BIPOC students feel heard?

Black Student Union Club

Sunset High School (2021)

How might we help Black students build trust with their white teachers?

Black Student Union

Faubion School K-8 (2021)

 

How might we create a culture where students feel safe to report things related to racial injustice/discrimination?

SAFE Club

Parkrose High School (2021)

How might we create a school culture that supports and values neuro-diverse students?

Avid Class

Lincoln High School (2021)

How might we improve the student experience for LGBTQIA+ youth on our campus?

GSA Club

Centennial High School (2021)

 

Check out some spotlight solutions here!