A recent MIT project titled Day of Design provides complimentary, open-source, practical design experiences for all classrooms, along with professional growth opportunities and signature events. The content captivates pK-12 learners in acquiring the competencies necessary to tackle intricate open-ended challenges while also addressing user, societal, and environmental considerations. Influenced by Day of AI and Day of Climate, it represents a new collaborative endeavor by the MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MAD) and the WPS Institute, with backing from the MIT pK-12 Initiative.
“At MIT, design is engaged across various departments — from the more evident ones, like architecture and mechanical engineering, to those less noticeable, like biology and chemistry. Design abilities help students become effective collaborators, idea generators, and user-focused problem-solvers. The Day of Design initiative aims to impart these abilities to the K-12 audience via concise, engaging activities suitable for every classroom,” states Rosa Weinberg, who co-directed the development of Day of Design and serves as MAD’s K–12 design education lead.
These interdisciplinary tools are developed in collaboration with input from educators and are rooted in exhilarating themes spanning science, humanities, art, engineering, among other subjects, catering to teachers and learners regardless of their familiarity with design and creation. Activities are structured similarly to “grammar lessons” for design instruction, encompassing ready-to-use classroom slides, handouts, instructional videos, and facilitation strategies supporting 21st-century mindsets. All resources will be available online, allowing educators to utilize the content as is or to adapt it as necessary for their classrooms and other informal learning environments.
Rachel Adams, a former educator and leader of teaching and learning at the WPS Institute, remarks, “There can be a disparity between open-ended educational resources and what teachers genuinely require in their classrooms. Day of Design classroom materials are tested and refined by an interdisciplinary group of teachers in our Teacher Innovation Fellowship. This collaborative design approach enables us to connect cutting-edge MIT research with practical, student-focused design lessons. These materials represent a new perspective that values both the innovation originating in MIT’s laboratories and the real-world demands of educators.”
Day of Design also includes signature events and an annual, practical challenge that integrates all design skills. It is aimed at educators seeking readily adaptable design and creation activities that align with their subject areas and philosophies, and for students eager to cultivate problem-solving skills, creativity, and hands-on experience. Schools and districts looking to engage learners through interdisciplinary, project-based methods can adopt the program as a flexible framework, while community partners can utilize it to equip youth with tools and spaces for creation.
Cedric Jacobson, a chemistry educator at Brooke High School in Boston who took part in MAD’s Teacher Innovation Fellowship and contributed in testing the Day of Design curriculum, underscores it “offers teachers avenues to engage with design principles in tangible ways across diverse lesson formats. This experience empowers them to experiment with design concepts in model lessons before planning to incorporate them into their own curriculum.”
Evan Milstein-Greengart, another Teacher Innovation Fellow, shares how “gaining this hands-on experience transformed my perception of education. I felt like a child once more — reminiscent of playground learning — and I aspire to instill that same enthusiasm in my classroom.”
Bridging the skills gap through design education
Technologies including artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotechnology are transforming the workforce and society. The World Economic Forum predicts that 39 percent of crucial job competencies will evolve by 2030. Simultaneously, research indicates that student engagement significantly declines in high school, with a third of students facing what is frequently termed the “engagement cliff.” Many students do not encounter design education until college, if ever.
There is an escalating need to nurture not only technical skills but also design literacy — the ability to approach complicated problems with empathy, creativity, and evaluative thinking. Design education equips students to prototype solutions, adapt based on feedback, and articulate ideas effectively. Studies have demonstrated that it can enhance creative thinking, motivation, problem-solving abilities, self-efficacy, and academic accomplishments.
At MIT, design is a mindset and method of creation that crosses disciplines — from bioengineering and architecture to mechanical systems and public policy. It involves both creativity and analysis, grounded in iteration, user feedback, and systems thinking. Day of Design embodies MIT’s “mens et manus” (“mind and hand”) motto and extends the design tools to young learners and educators.
“The workshops assist students in developing skills applicable across various subject domains, employing topics drawn from MIT research while remaining engaging and accessible for middle and high school students,” explains Weinberg. “For instance, ‘Cosmic Comfort,’ one of our pilot workshops, drew inspiration from MIT’s Space Architecture course (MAS.S66/4.154/16.89). It challenges students to consider how to make a lunar habitat feel homely, while emphasizing the essential design skill of ideation — the ability to generate a range of innovative solutions.”
Continuing an MIT legacy
Day of Design builds on the foundation established by Day of AI and Day of Climate, two ongoing initiatives by MIT RAISE and the MIT pK-12 Initiative. All three programs provide free, open-source activities, professional development resources, and events that link MIT research with educators and students around the globe. Since 2021, Day of AI has reached over 42,000 educators and 1.5 million students in 170 nations and all 50 U.S. states. Day of Climate, which began in March 2025, has already recorded over 50,000 website visitors, 300 downloads of professional development resources, and an April launch event at the MIT Museum that attracted 200 participants.
“Day of Design amplifies the essence of Day of AI and Day of Climate by inviting young individuals to tackle genuine challenges through creative work, meaningful teamwork, and profound empathy for others. These initiatives highlight MIT’s dedication to hands-on, interdisciplinary education, empowering future young leaders not only to comprehend the world but to shape it,” remarks Claudia Urrea, executive director for the pK–12 Initiative at MIT Open Learning.
Launching with connection
“Collaborative learning and creation in person ignites the kind of ideas and connections that are difficult to forge through any other means. Group learning inspires everyone to think broadly and more innovatively, while fostering a more deeply interconnected community that sustains that growth,” notes Caitlin Morris, PhD student in Fluid Interfaces, a 2024 MAD Design Fellow, and co-organizer of Day of Design: Connect, which will inaugurate Day of Design on Sept. 25.
After the launch, the first batch of classroom resources will be introduced during the 2025–26 academic year, commencing with activities tailored for grades 7–12. Additional resources for younger learners, in conjunction with training options for educators, will be incorporated progressively. Each year, new design skills and philosophies will be added, creating a growing library of activities. While the initial events will occur at MIT, planners intend to broaden the programming globally.
Teacher Innovation Fellow Jessica Toupin, who piloted Day of Design activities in her math classroom, reflects on its effect: “As a math educator, I don’t often focus on design. This material reminded me of the joy of learning — and when I implemented it in my classroom, students who had struggled became engaged. Just the chance to explore and construct revealed their potential for so much more.”