Context

Our project focuses primarily on education and aims to contribute to creating a better world through a campaign that addresses a specific problem related to education.

We have chosen to concentrate on the issue of limited access to quality education in rural areas, aiming to understand its root causes and identify specific ways in which we can make a positive impact.

We firmly believe that the accessibility of education stands as one of the most critical challenges of our era, as it serves as a foundational platform for fostering critical thinking, reducing susceptibility to manipulation, nurturing understanding and empathy, and ultimately fostering personal and communal fulfillment.

Problem Definition

During the initial stages of our project, we made a deliberate decision to focus our efforts on addressing the challenges faced by rural areas in terms of education. Through our own contextual experiences and research, we recognized that education tends to be neglected and lacking in these regions, making it an area of crucial importance to address. In our preliminary investigation, we identified several factors that hinder the accessibility of education in rural areas, including:

• Cultural Barriers: Cultural beliefs and practices may influence attitudes towards education, leading to a diminished emphasis on its importance or relevance within the community.
• Contextual Challenges: Issues such as violence or gender-specific norms can further compound the difficulties faced in accessing education in rural areas.
• Lack of Government Support: Insufficient funding and inadequate policies from governmental bodies can contribute to the limited availability of educational resources and infrastructure.
• Distance: The physical remoteness of rural areas often results in longer travel times and limited access to schools and educational facilities.
• Lack of Support at Home: The absence of encouragement and involvement from parents or guardians in their children's education can be a significant barrier to educational attainment.

Given the range of obstacles, we carefully considered which issue we could effectively address through the creation of a social campaign. It became apparent that we had limited capacity to directly influence or rectify certain factors, such as government support or cultural beliefs. Consequently, we decided to focus our efforts on tackling the lack of support at home, as it offered a tangible opportunity for us to make a meaningful impact.

Further research revealed that many rural schools face closure due to low attendance rates, with parental commitment emerging as a key contributing factor. We discovered that some parents lack the vision or belief that education can uplift the next generation from poverty and provide them with a better quality of life. Additionally, the demands of rural life, such as agriculture and cattle raising, often lead parents to prioritize their children's assistance in these activities over attending school.

Moreover, we identified a prevailing perception among rural parents that the knowledge imparted by outsiders through education holds little practical value in their lives, leading to a sense of rejection towards it.

In light of these findings, our project seeks to address the issue of insufficient support at home by developing a comprehensive campaign that aims to promote the benefits of education, emphasize its practical relevance, and foster a collective vision of breaking the cycle of poverty through learning. By actively engaging and involving parents in the educational journey of their children, we hope to cultivate a positive mindset and encourage a greater commitment to education within rural communities.

How Might We Question

Initially, we had this as the HMQ:

How might we help kids to stay in school and help parents understand the importance of this education?

But after the last presentation, it came to our attention that it would work better if flipped, as we're really trying to help parents understand the importance of education resulting in more kids staying at school.

Strategy

To gain further insights we delved into literature and found two models that would inform our own eventual solution, these were Paulo Freire’s Education for Liberation and Rudolf Steiner’s Schools.

Paulo Freire's idea of Education for Liberation is all about empowering individuals, especially those who are marginalized and oppressed, through transformative education. He believes that traditional education tends to support unfair systems and inequalities. Instead, Freire promotes a liberating style of teaching that encourages critical thinking, open dialogue, and raising awareness among students. This approach challenges learners to question and analyze the social, economic, and political systems that contribute to their oppression. By creating a cooperative and engaging learning atmosphere, Education for Liberation aims to empower individuals to take charge and make positive changes in their own lives and society.

Rudolf Steiner's Schools, also called Waldorf schools, follow Rudolf Steiner's educational philosophy and methods. These schools take a holistic approach, nurturing the complete development of children—body, mind, and spirit. They offer a well-rounded curriculum that includes academics, arts, and practical skills to foster creativity, critical thinking, and social responsibility. Steiner's philosophy values the uniqueness of each child and provides an environment that supports their individual growth. Through experiential learning and a balanced blend of intellectual, artistic, and practical activities, Steiner's schools aim to cultivate individuals with a strong sense of purpose, self-awareness, and a deep connection to their community and nature.

Our focus then turned to the key actors involved, namely teachers, parents, and ourselves as designers. By carefully examining the points of convergence among these actors, we embarked on the development of our educational model, this process involved synthesizing some principles and approaches from Freire and Steiner, while integrating our own insights and expertise as designers.

The Assemblies of Knowledge

„Assemblies of Knowledge“ represents a comprehensive and inclusive educational model that embraces a holistic and wide-ranging vision. Central to this model is the idea of co-creating curricula in collaboration with community councils, fostering a sense of collective ownership and responsiveness to the unique needs of the community. By adopting this approach, the curricula can evolve annually, adapting and becoming more specific to address the specific challenges and aspirations of the community. In contrast to disregarding rural or academic knowledge, we aim to empower and support both forms of knowledge by leveraging design thinking methods. This approach acknowledges the inherent value and wisdom of rural knowledge, recognizing it as an essential part of the educational journey. By intertwining academic knowledge with local wisdom, we aspire to cultivate a harmonious integration that uplifts and empowers the community, fostering a truly inclusive and transformative educational experience.

The Campaign

The campaign focuses on informing and involving parents in actively contributing to the curriculum design process. We recognize the important role parents play in their children's education and believe that their participation can lead to positive outcomes. Our goal is to raise awareness among parents about the benefits of their involvement and encourage them to actively shape the curriculum.

Newspaper Ads

Billboard

Posters

Booklet for parents

Radio Cue

Landing page for Volunteers