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Students Engage in Design Thinking and Entrepreneurship

Students Engage in Design Thinking and Entrepreneurship

Eighth graders just completed their Trimester 2 projects for Innov8, Trinity's capstone course in design-thinking and entrepreneurship.

All eighth graders spend a trimester identifying an area of need in the Austin community (or beyond) and generating solutions through researching, testing, and creating realistic plans. Students utilize a design thinking framework to better understand the needs of those impacted by a problem and how to improve their solutions.

Students who completed Innov8 projects in Trimester 2.

Among the first trimester's projects was Mind.Guide by Sydney P. Mind.Guide is a website designed to alleviate school-related stress among American middle school students, half of whom report feeling constantly stressed about academics, with 61% of teenagers aged 13-17 stressed about achieving good grades. Utilizing the YALE Mood Meter method, Mind.Guide enables students to identify and understand their emotions and recognize patterns that may affect their mental health, such as during exams or specific times of the day. This insight not only empowers students to seek appropriate support but also aids adults, teachers, and administrators in comprehending students' needs through their emotional entries. This could lead to better support strategies, especially during high-stress periods like testing or sports tryouts, enhancing overall student well-being.

Sydney P. presents on her Innov8 project.

Joseph B.'s initiative from last trimester addresses the challenge small farms in the U.S. face due to the dominance of large farms supplying supermarkets, which ship food nationwide, leaving smaller farms with little exposure and sales. To counteract this, he proposes the development of an app functioning as an online farmers market, enabling farmers to directly sell their produce to local consumers. By posting their available food on the app or website, farmers can connect with nearby consumers who can then purchase these items to be delivered directly from the farm. This solution aims to eliminate the intermediary role of supermarkets, thereby reducing food prices through the removal of supermarket markups and providing consumers with fresh, affordable food, while simultaneously boosting the visibility and sales of small farms.

Joseph B. outlines the benefits of his project in this presentation slide.