I was overwhelmed by the amount of creativity and design that occurred this morning, and I owe it all to David Clifford. David is a teacher, creator, and advocate for social justice, who delivered a presentation to us regarding his current and past projects, as well as his mindset behind his projects. David has a unique outlook on the education system, as he strays away from the traditional system of lectures and textbooks. One of his projects include opening a school (Design School X) that will allow students to learn in a creative and equal space, where every student is valued for his/her ideas. He heavily focuses on the design and innovative aspects, as students are given the task to plan and build their own learning environment. David also uses design as a method for students to create solutions to ongoing issues. He follows this specific design process:
1. Notice
2. Empathize
3. Define
4. Ideate
5. Prototype
6. Test
7. Reflect
Following these steps, we (in pairs) were challenged to build a desk or learning space that would benefit the both of us, as well as the rest of the community. Before this activity, we were given some time to write down some of our strengths, stances, and aspects that make up who we are. We then attempted to incorporate our responses into our design. As a very non-creative and linear person, I was incredibly conflicted on how I should approach this challenge, but through collaborating with my partner, I felt more confident to move forward with the task and found myself enjoying the entire process (even the moments where my partner and I ran into several building issues).
Something that was very interesting that David mentioned was the idea of an âiâ individual and a âxâ individual. The former is seen as an individual that has a set route towards his/her future. David mentioned that âiâ individuals were more likely to work in industrial settings in factories and such, but because our world has developed, factory jobs are replaced by advanced machinery. âxâ individuals, on the other hand, has a more creative outlook on society, and through their story, stance, strength, (as well as one other aspect that I am forgetting), they will find their purpose in society, so it is slightly unclear as to what their future actually holds. I personally think that David is brave to step out of the traditional educational system, and basically create his own system that will cater to all students regardless of their background. I love that he is stepping out of societyâs norm, but Iâm still a bit conflicted about the whole âiâ and âxâ idea. I donât necessarily believe that being an âiâ student is a negative thing, as our current school systems (unfortunately) are more centered around âiâ students, where students follow a set path towards a future goal. I imagine the path to be entering college, graduating with a degree in whichever major, entering grad school, participating in an internship, and then finding a job and having a successful career. Right now, I feel that investing time into our future generations to ensure that they are receiving an education where they become âxâ individuals would be the more beneficial than beginning to start the âxâ mindset in high schoolers, where they have been exposed to an âiâ mindset for most of their educational career. This world is constantly changing and developing; eventually our systems will accommodate âxâ individuals, and our future generations will be our worldâs problem solvers.
Another individual who views education in a similar light as David Clifford is Rebecca Hong. Rebecca joined Aim High for her first summer as a site director at Lick-Wilmerding High School, and was willing to spare some time out of her busy schedule to briefly speak with us regarding the program. Aim High is a free summer enrichment program that prepare students for high school and puts them on a path towards college. Rebecca mentioned how the admission process prioritizes low-income students over students from a wealthier background in order to allow the underprivileged to have the same opportunity to achieve academically. As a low-income student myself, I am extremely grateful to hear that every student is given the resources to walk towards a brighter future. What I took out of Rebeccaâs description of Aim High is that education is highly valued, and the success of every student (regardless of their background) is Aim Highâs priority.
I actually participated in a summer program similar to Aim High during my middle school years, so I am very familiar with the benefits of a summer enrichment program. Through my experience, it is safe to say that I, along with many other students entered the program with a little understanding of the value of education, but left more informed about the benefits and privilege of a higher education. I am so thankful that programs such as Aim High exist. Without them, so many students are losing out in opportunities, and most of those students are first generation, people of color, and come from a low-income family. Those students and I would become a part of another statistic proving that minorities are least likely to enter and graduate college. So again, a massive shout out to all summer enrichment programs that are striving to erase the educational gap between privileged and underprivileged students.
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