The LifeDesign for Adolescence Program
The program is designed to allow students to come to understand Design Thinking as a general methodology to address a wide range of content and problems in both academic and social settings. Throughout the program, students learn and nurture their own version of Design Thinking through a range of carefully planned content-specific live-projects (Note 1) that enable students to gain awareness of their potential, interest, personality and character in a progressive manner. This is especially important as self-awareness is fundamental for students in their planning and development throughout their lives. As with most of the lifelong learning initiatives, the program provides tier-based projects tailored to students at various levels of intellectual maturity. In short, the LifeDesign Program serves as a platform for continuous, multifaceted and progressive lifelong learning.
(Note 1) - The customization of live-projects is based on the principle that enables students to explore combinations of latent potentials such as linguistic, logical-analytical, visual-spatial, musical, physical, self-sensitivities, others-sensitivities, creative, and innovative capabilities. The list of latent potentials can be largely referenced to Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences.
For examples,(1) a “Script Writing Project" that emphasizes the linguistic, creative, and visual-spatial capabilities; (2) a “Social Entrepreneurship Project" that emphasizes the others-sensitivities, innovative, and logical-analytical capabilities; (3) a “My First Sculpture Project" that emphasizes the creative, physical, visual-spatial, and self-sensitivities capabilities.
Program Delivery
The program can be delivered in either Chinese or English (Note 2).
(Note 2) - Using English as the delivery language provides opportunities for learners to practise the language skills in a less formal learning environment.
What do schools get out of the program?
The program:
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complements the formal school curriculum with Design Thinking so as to enhance students’ empathic sensitivity, critical reasoning, creative thinking and innovatory capabilities;
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provides alternative/additional channels for students to engage in intra- and extra-curriculum activities, such as through the participation in social initiatives or public competitions;
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collaborates with the school to customize projects in alignment with institutional focus (such as STEM);
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supports the lifespan design and development initiative for further education and career planning; and
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encourages a constructivist learning environment and culture.
Program Structure
The LifeDesign Program is a series of project-based learning:
Number of project:
a series of projects, minimum two projects
Project duration:
six to eight two-hour-sessions per project
Time span per project:
typically once or twice a week across a one-to-two-month time-span (session per week is based on the feasibility of the students’ academic schedule during semesters or a more compact schedule during semester breaks)
Group size:
in group of 15 to 20 students at the same tier of intellectual maturity
LifeDesign counselling/coaching:
two to three group counselling sessions (certain students may benefit more through individual counselling/coaching)
Instructors:
methodology and content experts (sometimes an instructor can be both the methodology and content expert)
Pre-requisite:
no (group formation is based on a tier-based approach)
What do students/learners get out of the program?
The program helps students/learners to:
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acquire and internalize Design Thinking as a general set of knowledge, skills and attitudes to tackle a broad variety of learning and developmental tasks through the suite of customised live-projects (Note 1);
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discover and explore their latent potentials and intrinsic interests through the live-projects and lifespan counselling;
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apply empathic sensitivity, critical reasoning, creative thinking and innovatory capabilities to resolve academic and life stage relevant issues;
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nurture self-confidence, self-efficacy and self-awareness; and
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enrich students’ lifelong learning and developmental portfolio for career planning.
Program Cost
The program cost is determined on a sliding scale of fees to support the different educational and social institutes in HK.
Program Coordinator
The Program Coordinator and Lead Instructor of the LifeDesign Program is PY. PY has diverse academic knowledge and professional experience in the design and creative industries. The relevant knowledge and experience were acquired through PY’s employment as Assistant Professor at the School of Design at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Director of Creative Industries Singapore for the Singapore government, and other private sector assignments. Prior to that, PY had studied mechanical engineering and industrial/product design. To fulfil his passion for lifelong learning, PY broadened his knowledge-base by following his belief in “uncovering one’s potential and beyond” through learning. His Master of Business Administration, Master of Education Psychology and Master of Counselling have been fundamental to his success in roles built on a variety of responsibilities required of an educator, a lifespan planning counsellor/coach, and an education psychologist.
"One of the main tasks of adolescence is to achieve an identity - not necessarily a knowledge of who we are, but a clarification ofthe range of what we might become, a set of self-references by which we can make sense of our responses, and justify our decisions and goals."
- Terri E Apter
Is "Design Thinking" a specialized skill for designers only?
No, Design Thinking is not just for design professionals. Design Thinking is much more than just a disciplinary skill; it has broader applications to a wider audience.
