MIT launches Day of Design to bring hands-on learning to classrooms

A new initiative to bring design into classrooms

Day of Design offers free, open-source hands-on design activities for all classrooms, in addition to PD opportunities, and signature events. The material engages pK-12 learners in the skills they need to solve complex open-ended problems while also considering user, social, and environmental needs. Inspired by Day of AI and Day of Climate, it is a new collaborative effort by the Morningside Academy for Design (MAD) and the WPS Institute, with support from the MIT pK-12 Initiative.

“At MIT, design is practiced across departments — from the more obvious ones like architecture and mechanical engineering to less apparent ones like biology and chemistry. Design skills support students in becoming strong collaborators, idea-makers, and human-centered problem-solvers. The Day of Design initiative seeks to share these skills with the K-12 audience through bite-sized, engaging activities for every classroom,” says Rosa Weinberg, who co-led the development of Day of Design and serves as MAD’s K–12 Design Education Lead.

These interdisciplinary resources are designed collaboratively with feedback from teachers and grounded in exciting themes across science, humanities, art, engineering, and other subject areas, serving educators and learners regardless of their experience with design and making. Activities are scaffolded like “grammar lessons” for design education, including classroom-ready slides, handouts, tutorial videos, and facilitation tips supporting 21st century mindsets. All materials will be shared online, enabling educators to use the content as-is, or modify it as needed for their classrooms and other informal learning settings.

Rachel Adams, a former teacher and head of Teaching & Learning at the WPS Institute, shares how “there can be a gap between open-ended teaching materials and what teachers actually need in their classrooms. Day of Design classroom materials are piloted and workshopped by an interdisciplinary cohort of teachers who make up our Teacher Innovation Fellowship. This collaborative design process allows us to bridge the gap between cutting-edge MIT research with practical student-centered design lessons. These materials represent a new way of thinking that honors both the innovation happening in the labs at MIT and the real-world needs of educators.”

Day of Design also features signature events, and a yearly, real world challenge that brings all the design skills together. It is intended for educators who want ready-to-use design and making activities that connect to their subject areas and mindsets, and for students eager to develop problem-solving skills, creativity, and hands-on experience. Schools and districts looking to engage learners through interdisciplinary, project-based approaches can adopt the program as a flexible framework, while community partners can use it to provide young people with tools and spaces to create.

Cedric Jacobson, a chemistry teacher at Brooke High School who participated in MAD’s Teacher Innovation Fellowship and contributed to testing the Day of Design curriculum, emphasizes it “provides opportunities for teachers to practice and interact with design principles in concrete ways through multiple lesson structures. This process empowers them to try design principles in model lessons before preparing to use them in their own curriculum.”

Evan Milstein-Greengart, another Teacher Innovation Fellow, described how “having this hands-on experience changed the way I thought about education. I felt like a kid again — going back to playground learning — and I want to bring that same spirit into my classroom.”

Closing the skills gap through design education

Emerging technologies such as AI, robotics, and biotech are reshaping work and society. The World Economic Forum estimates that 39 percent of key job skills will change by 2030. At the same time, research shows student engagement drops sharply in high school, with a third of students experiencing what is often called the “engagement cliff.” Many do not encounter design until college, if at all.

There is a growing need to foster not just technical literacy, but design fluency — the ability to approach complex problems with empathy, creativity, and critical thinking. Design education helps students prototype solutions, iterate based on feedback, and communicate ideas clearly. Studies have shown it can improve creative thinking, motivation, problem-solving, self-efficacy, and academic achievement.

At MIT, design is a way of thinking and creating that spans disciplines — from bioengineering and architecture to mechanical systems and public policy. It is both creative and analytical, grounded in iteration, user input, and systems thinking. Day of Design reflects MIT’s mens et manus (“mind and hand”) motto and extends the tools of design to young learners and educators.

“The workshops help students develop skills that can be applied across multiple subject areas, using topics that draw context from MIT research while remaining exciting and accessible to middle and high school students,” explains Weinberg. “For example, ‘Cosmic Comfort,’ one of our pilot workshops, was inspired by MIT's Space Architecture course (MAS.S66/4.154/16.89). It challenges students to consider how you might make a lunar habitat feel like home, while focusing on developing the crucial design skill of ideation — the ability to generate multiple creative solutions.”

Building on MIT legacy

Day of Design builds on the model of Day of AI and Day of Climate, two ongoing efforts by MIT RAISE and the MIT pK-12 Initiative. All three initiatives share free, open-source activities, professional development materials, and events that connect MIT research with educators and students worldwide. Since 2021, Day of AI has reached more than 42,000 teachers and 1.5 million students in 170 countries and all 50 U.S. states. Day of Climate, launched in March 2025, has already recorded over 50,000 website visitors, 300 downloads of professional development materials, and an April launch event at the MIT Museum that drew 200 participants.

“Day of Design builds on the spirit of Day of AI and Day of Climate by inviting young people to engage with real-world challenges through creative work, meaningful collaboration, and deep empathy for others. These initiatives reflect MIT’s commitment to hands-on, transdisciplinary learning, empowering future young leaders not just to understand the world, but to shape it,” says Claudia Urrea, Executive Director, for the pK–12 Initiative at MIT Open Learning.

Kicking off with connection

“Learning and creating together in person sparks the kind of ideas and connections that are hard to make any other way. Collective learning helps everyone think bigger and more creatively, while building a more deeply connected community that keeps that growth alive,” observes Caitlin Morris, PhD student in Fluid Interfaces, a 2024 MAD Design Fellow, and co-organizer of Day of Design: Connect, which will kick off Day of Design on September 25, 2025.

Presented in partnership with the MIT Museum, the afternoon gathering is also supported by the pK-12 Initiative and the WPS Institute. Bringing together grades 7–12 teachers, Out-of-School Time educators, and members of the MIT community, the program will open with a discussion on Why Design Matters in Non-Design Fields, followed by hands-on workshops on storytelling, iteration, and collaboration. Local organizations working on design education will showcase their efforts throughout the event, which will conclude with a community dinner. Workshop facilitators will feature experts from IDEO, the MIT Media Lab, the Fab Foundation, and other leading organizations.

Following the launch, the first set of classroom resources will be introduced during the 2025–26 school year, starting with activities for grades 7–12. Additional resources for younger learners, along with training opportunities for educators, will be added over time. Each year, new design skills and mindsets will be incorporated, creating a growing library of activities. While initial events will take place at MIT, organizers plan to expand programming globally.

Teacher Innovation Fellow Jessica Toupin, who piloted Day of Design activities in her math classroom, reflected on the impact: “As a math teacher I don’t always get to focus on design. This material reminded me of the joy of learning — and when I brought it into my classroom, students who had struggled came alive. Just the ability to play and build showed me they were capable of so much more.”