New Canaan Library's video: New Canaan Library Presents: Virtual Desgin Thinking Empowering Students to Reshape The Future

Join us on September 22 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm as Praja Tickoo, a New Canaan High School student, presents on what design thinking is and how it can be used with students to explore projects. Design thinking is a human-centric design framework for problem-solving and empowers students to break down their assumptions of society, develop their skills of critical thinking, problem solving and creativity, and work to have an impact on the world. This presentation is great for middle and high school students and their parents, along with anyone who is interested in learning more about design thinking. ***There will be a follow up hands on workshop in November for grades 5th and up where they can explore and facilitate their own design thinking initiatives.*** Praja Tickoo, a 16-year-old student, has spent the last four years learning design thinking. In the summer of 2019, as part of a design thinking program, he participated in a collaborative effort to design a better ankle brace for a multiple sclerosis patient. This experience revealed to him the power that young people have to reshape their world, while reinforcing his conviction that problems can only be solved by questioning assumptions and involving those directly affected. Praja has taken multiple courses in design thinking associated with institutions such as IDEO, the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University. Additionally, he is the founder of Impact The Future, an organization aimed at teaching the process of design thinking to middle and high school students. Praja has been featured in news articles and podcasts about his thoughts on the education revolution and design thinking. He has been invited to speak at conferences and schools internationally. Most recently, Praja was invited by an NGO to speak about design thinking with a school system in Romania.