OUR CURRICULUM

BRAINSTORM

1. HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN

This model is designed to improve critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills, in addition to the engineering skills needed to bring an idea from sketch to prototype. During the “empathize” and “define” phases, students engage directly with their peers to understand local community needs regarding a challenge directly related to the SDGs. In the “ideate” and “prototype” phases, students work in teams to brainstorm solutions and to use feedback to iterate on their designs. In the “deliver” phase, students present their prototype to the school and special guests, like a science fair. 

2. APPLICATIONS OF IGNITE

LIGHT

It is often said that you cannot buy time, but we think this is not the case. Access to affordable and clean energy allows people a chance to work, study, eat, and gather in groups after it gets dark. It buys people time that they might not have been able to use, if they didn’t have access to light. The Light Curriculum goes through the Human-Centered Design cycle to learn about how a light source, our prototype, can increase access to energy in communities that need it most. The course teaches students about current, voltage, resistance, and circuit components, in order for them to build a flashlight that fits the needs of their community.

WATER

Access to clean water is vital for the health and development of a community, not only because water is essential for survival, but also because we use it for daily tasks, such as cooking, bathing, washing dishes and clothes. For example, if people do not have access to sanitation services or drinkable water, it increases their risk of being infected by water-borne diseases. In the Water Curriculum, students learn how to measure and visualize water contamination, and then they use Human-Centered Design to design and build a device to purify water that suits the needs of their community.

HEALTH

The Health Curriculum centers around communicable diseases; its content ranges from microscopic germs, like bacteria and viruses, to pandemics and disease prevention. Students get to constantly create new prototypes based on what they’re learning. Students understand and apply STEM concepts related to chemistry, biology, and physics in the process of building their prototype, a health kit. Throughout the entire process, students think about and empathize with the community that they are building their health kit for, asking themselves questions such as: How can I make the mask more wear-able? How can I design a soap or hand sanitizer pump that the community will use readily? 

DESIGN YOUR OWN

Do you have an idea for a curriculum that we don't have yet?

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to learn how to design, teach, and share your own curriculum. 

3. TEACHING TIPS

This module is only required if you want to become an Ignite instructor. It goes through basic concepts of Educational Psychology to make sure that you're ready to step into a classroom when you teach IGNITE in your community.