Design Challenge for Climate Action

John Polanyi Collegiate Institute

May-June 2021

Up4 The Challenge is delighted to be joining a grade 10 class at JPCI to address climate change from a local, youth perspective. Here's what their teacher shared about our previous programs:

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I have had the incredible experience of working with the Up4 The Challenge team for the past two years. Throughout the workshops, students learned a process to solve real world environmental problems using human-centred design thinking and collaboration.  They brainstormed, interviewed stakeholders, designed and presented their prototypes, focusing on social and environmental themes. The excursion to Evergreen Brick Works allowed further exploration and a positive hands on experience.The entire UP4 team is passionate, inspirational and knowledgeable. The students and I have benefited from participating in this program. 

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​Marla Stone
Assistant Curriculum Leader of Science 
John Polanyi Collegiate Institute

Ryerson Fellowship

Returning Spring 2021

Up4 The Challenge is happy to announce that we will be working with Ryerson University once again as part of their Arts and Contemporary Studies Fellowship program. In 2019 we had the opportunity to work with two amazing students, Devany and Smyrna, and we are looking forward to collaborating with new students this spring!

Design Academy Summer Program

July 2021

This program is currently being co-designed with students in grades 9 and 10 and will be offered for the first time in July 2021.

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Stay tuned for more information soon!

National Engineering Month - NEM Ontario

March 11th 2021 - online

In celebration of National Engineering Month, Up4 The Challenge hosted an online event for post-secondary students to share how we promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in the STEM fields. Participants joined us from around the globe to learn about human-centred design and STEM in a fun and hands-on way. Visit NEM Ontario's YouTube channel to watch the recording!  

Healthy, eco-friendly food practices in schools

JPCI at Evergreen Brick Works

February - May 2020, Toronto 

Up4 The Challenge partnered with Evergreen Brick Works and Engineers of Tomorrow to provide students from John Polanyi Collegiate Institute with this experiential learning opportunity. Students learned how human-centred design works, how to use their design skills to be social change agents in their communities, and how STEM can help them make this change happen. Thanks to everyone for their efforts and enthusiasm as we shifted to online programming for our final session during the pandemic with this dedicated class.

Sustainable, Food-Secure Cities Design Workshop

Evergreen Brick Works

November 4th 2019, Toronto 

We had thirty students from Lord Lansdowne Junior Public School join us at Evergreen Brick Works for this full-day workshop. After a fun and informative tour with Peter and Isaac, the students prototyped inspiring ways to make the school lunch experience better for their classmates. Their ideas were as diverse and creative as the participants!

Design Thinking Workshop

October 25th 2019, University of Ottawa

This workshop provided future science educators with an introduction to human-centred design and highlighted how the connection between STEM and social impact could be demonstrated to their future students. Participants came up with creative ways to improve the lunch experience for their partners. Their solutions included a portable slow cooker and much more!

Sustainable Cities Design Thinking Workshop

Evergreen Brick Works

June 16th 2019, Toronto

This half-day workshop introduced participants to the importance and challenges of designing sustainable, food-secure cities and guided them through a hands-on human-centred design process. Following a tour of Evergreen Brick Works led by Isaac Crosby, Lead Hand Urban Agriculture, participants created prototypes to redesign the school lunch experience.

Girls in Tech Conference (GITCon 2019)

University of Toronto Schools

April 13th 2019, Toronto

This workshop involved a fun, fast-paced, hands-on design challenge in which our facilitators introduced participants to the importance and challenges of designing sustainable cities. After leading them through a user-centered design process, the girls were challenged to consider how STEM supports the social outcomes from their design.  Check out what happened at the 2019 Girls In Tech Conference!

Sustainable Cities Design Challenge Workshop

Evergreen Brick Works

March 24th 2019, Toronto

The half-day workshop, in celebration of National Engineering Month (NEM2019), introduced participants to the importance and challenges of designing sustainable cities, led them through a hands-on user-centred design process and a specially-developed STEM integration activity to empower an appreciation of how STEM supports social outcomes from their prototypes.

Seedy Sunday at Evergreen Brick Works

March 17th 2019, Toronto

We offered drop-in style, human centred design activities at Evergreen Brick Works during their annual Seedy Sunday event. Kids were challenged to create a physical prototype that would provide a convenient way to get fresh fruits and vegetables to students at school. Designs included portable coolers for veggie pops and an indoor garden supported by rainwater harvesting. Impressive!

Sustainable Cities Challenge 

John Polanyi Collegiate Institute & Evergreen

Feb-March 2019, Toronto

For our initial program with John Polanyi Collegiate Institute in collaboration with Evergreen Brick Works, we challenged students to create a healthier, more secure food environment within the school community. Participants loved learning about urban and Indigenous agricultural practices at Evergreen, the Three Sisters Soup for lunch, as well as building their prototypes!

Design Thinking Workshop

University of Ottawa

​November 2, 2018

Our workshop provided Bachelor of Education students with an introduction to human-centred design. They were guided though a hands-on, iterative problem-solving process drawing on empathy for meaningful, creative ideas. Students gained a greater awareness about how math and science fit within this interdisciplinary process and the potential for technology as a tool for positive change.

Fisher Summit Alternative School

in partnership with the Parkdale Food Centre 

October 2017 -  June 2018, Ottawa

Our initial three-week program led middle school students through a human-centred design process in which they had an opportunity to interview their neighbours who use the Parkdale Food Centre to better understand the challenge around food security. Their design ideas were so appreciated by our partners, that they spent the next few months implementing their ideas. More information about this program can be found here.