Launched in Fall 2003, Designers in the Classroom brings professional designers into elementary and secondary school classrooms to develop design projects with students that enrich curriculum and broaden the roles of designers in their communities.

The principal goal of this education program is to raise awareness and understanding of design and the essential role it plays in our everyday lives. Another goal is to inspire students to pursue careers in the creative and artistic fields.

Each participating designer will lead one class of students through the Designers in the Classroom program. With the guidance of DX, designers and teachers will work together to prepare a project plan that fully integrates design and the design process with the current art curriculum. One objective of the program is to infuse the current curriculum with new perspectives from visiting art/design professionals.

After preliminary discussions/meetings between teachers and designers, the classroom program will run over the course of six to eight weeks, for approximately 20 hours of teaching time. During these visits, they will take on the bulk of the teaching responsibilities during their visits and introduce the students to the work of design. The designer will also work with the students, the teacher and DX to find suitable materials for development. During the program, students will learn about form and function, as well the general principles of design and possible career paths. Each designer will provide a context for design by presenting examples in art and design history as well as contemporary art/design works and will lead their class of students on a design project. Each project will follow the design process and will include the development of a portfolio of preliminary sketches and drawings leading to a final prototype.

The culmination of this program will result in an exhibition of student-produced work and a profile of each participating designer, in the Chalmers Design Centre at Design Exchange opening in January 2009. Students will be required to create a ‘designer’s statement’ explaining their concept, choice of materials and the name of their project. An opening reception will allow all of the participants and parents to meet and discuss the students’ work.

Artist's fees are paid to participating designers, as well as an allowance for needed supplies and transportation costs.

Please let me know if you have someone who might be interested in doing some teaching. Thank you for your consideration,

Katie Weber
Youth Education Coordinator
Design Exchange (DX)
234 Bay St., PO Box 18 TD Centre
Toronto ON M5K 1B2

PH 416.216.2138
FAX 416.368.0684

http://www.dx.org