The Designathon Works foundation, founded by Emer Beamer, envisions a world where all children are engaged in applying their creativity to shape a better world using technology. This vision is achieved by spreading a unique educational method and thinking, to teachers, schools, institutes and businesses worldwide. By 2023 the target is to have trained 5,500 teachers and 1 million children as global change makers.
The Designathon Works learning method is grounded in design thinking and applied to the sustainable development goals. The method draws on children’s natural inclination towards technology. Instead of being (educated as) passive users of technology, designathons create an opportunity for children to be active producers of it. To this end, the method includes a technology kit for children to be able to build their prototypes.
Global Children’s Designathon is a day dedicated to celebrating what the world could be like when children design better futures for people and planet using new technologies. Our efforts culminate in the annual GCD where children in cities around the world come together to work in parallel to design and develop innovative concepts for a better planet. During the day children will have contact with each other through a live connection, they will present their ideas to each other, and at the end of the day to a panel of experts, and a public audience. With this project we are highlighting the ability of the children to imagine and design a better future and simultaneously we are calling for changemaker education globally.
