Design League
What is Design League?
Mouse Design League is a design and technology program in which high school students create inventions to make a positive impact on the lives of others. Design League members develop creativity, problem solving, and collaboration skills, and build confidence in designing technology with purpose.
Over the course of the program, youth use human-centered design to brainstorm, prototype, and present assistive technology and projects designed to improves the lives of others. Design League comprises high school students with diverse interests and backgrounds, who gain applied design, technology, workplace, and leadership experience.
This program works with the “Design with Purpose” course on the Mouse Create learning platform. Through Design League, youth earn Digital Badges that document and validate the college-level skills they have developed. The program currently runs at three sites: Manhattan and the Bronx, NY, and Minneapolis, MN.
Who participates in Design League?
[INSERT MOUSE INFO ON PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS, maybe link to personas?] Why does Design League exist? (Problem statement, addressing equity in STEM careers) [INSERT SOME BACKGROUND ON WHY MOUSE STARTED DESIGN LEAGUE, STATS ON DIVERSITY IN TECH INDUSTRY/STEM FIELDS, POSSIBLY FROM PROPOSAL] Design League Badges Short description Images of Design League badges/criteria
Issuing badges is a key activity of the Design League program, supported by other components such as the Design League curriculum, the Create digital platform, thoughtful implementation strategies, and ongoing partnerships with researchers, higher education institutions, and community organizations.
There is more information about these supporting components at the following links
Program Curriculum (overview) Facilitating Badges Technical Infrastructure Partnerships Overview Adapting Program for New Sites (focus on badges/portfolios) Higher Education Endorsement Journey Research
Partnership Timeline
2009 - Design League starts
2013 - Parsons and DreamYard start Learning Portfolio Project collaboration
2013 - Parsons endorses Design League curriculum
2016 - EDC, Mouse, Parsons, and DreamYard begin NSF-funded project
2017 - Design League begins at DreamYard in the Bronx
2018 - Design League begins in Minnesota