Have a Problem?

It is always a challenge to consider and decide on the next enrichment projects to offer students during enrichment time. This time, I turned to the students to offer their ideas and interests. Having worked on a topics in social studies and math, students and I were looking for a different approach.

Their collective ideas brought us to the 2009 Design Kids Challenge, a collaborative on-line project, which offers students the opportunity to provide creative design solutions to real life problems. Students use their creativity to review, select one design and engineering problem presented by Kids Design Network and devise a creative solution to the problem. Student designers submit their work to their design partners who analyze the creativity, originality, approach, and effectiveness of the design. Designers then use their partner's evaluation and suggestions to revise their original solutions and refine designs to submit a final Design or Build. All student designers and teachers participating get the opportunity to vote on the top three design solution for each Design Challenge. All winners will advance to the finals round where professional designers and engineers will review their solutions and determine the Best Design of each Design Challenge Category.

Students have been brainstorming and sketching out their design solution and are movin into the build phase of the project. So should your child request some guidance or need some unusual items you'll know they are hard at work desiging, problem solving and creating. Be sure to chek out your child's ideas on the Students and Partners page.