You might assume it’s mostly working professionals using the discipline, but there’s a number of initiatives engaging the next generation with Strategic Doing. One such project is in Muncie, Indiana, with practitioner Kyra Zylstra of Sustainable Muncie leading the way:
One of the ways that we are using Strategic Doing in the Muncie, IN community is to engage high school students in co-developing STEM learning opportunities. We asked them to imagine what it would look like to offer programs that help students get excited about technology careers and learn about STEM in ways that are actually helpful and interesting?
This workshop brought together students from two different local high schools, a Purdue Polytechnic faculty member, a school administrator and staff from The Future of Work initiative and the Muncie Technology and Engineering Network. Ultimately, the group chose to focus on a Pathfinder Project that would provide students with the opportunity to explore drones and design their own drone racing course. Moving forward, the students are expanding their own networks and assets by inviting teachers and other STEM professionals to help guide them in developing a curriculum for their event.
The students’ STEM-focused workshop is part of a larger community collaboration to use Strategic Doing to help improve wellness and engagement through inter-generational connection in diverse neighborhoods throughout our city. The “Muncie Doing” collaborative, led by Sustainable Muncie’s Future of Work initiative and IU Health’s Healthy Community Alliance, is using Strategic Doing to advance our community through collaborative Action Teams.
Funding provided by the Ball Brothers Foundation and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education are included in our list of assets that will be used to help this student-led Action Team create their Pathfinder Project and continue growing the availability of STEM programming in the Muncie area.
Learn more about this project to engage the next generation with Strategic Doing by checking out the Muncie Strategic Doing Action Teams and their Pathfinder Projects.
