Bring design into your classroom!

In an era of rapid change, design education equips students with essential skills for navigating uncertainty: critical thinking, clear communication, and adaptive problem-solving. Unlike traditional course material, design introduces the notion that there are many ways to solve or address a challenge, and bridges theory and practice for real-world applications.

At MIT, we work to celebrate and amplify the power of design as a cornerstone of education. MIT students apply design across a wide range of disciplines from biology to engineering, humanities to architecture; with Day of Design, we want to empower young people in K-12 with the same toolkit.

Who is this event for?

This event will bring together teachers and administrators, members of the MIT community, and local design educators to build meaningful relationships and share insights.

Educators: No matter what subject you teach — science, math, history, or beyond — discover how storytelling, iteration, and collaboration can support student learning and career development. Especially relevant to grade 7-12 educators.

Researchers and designers: Members of the MIT community and others working at the intersection of design and education are welcome to share insights and learn from diverse perspectives.

No prior design experience is required — just curiosity about how design thinking can strengthen teaching and learning across all disciplines.

We're curating a thoughtful group. Let us know if you'd like to be considered.

Agenda

An afternoon of connection & exchange for grades 7–12 teachers, out-of-school educators, and the MIT community. We will celebrate the power of design to spark joy, deepen learning, and nurture agency across the curriculum.

• Opening panel: Why Design Matters in Non-Design Fields
• Workshops on Storytelling, Iteration, Collaboration
• Networking and showcase of local organizations working on design education
• Catered community dinner

Workshop facilitators include experts from MIT D-Lab, the Edgerton Center, Fab Foundation, IDEO, the MIT Media Lab's OctoStudio, MIT Museum, and NuVu Studio.

Partners

Day of Design offers events, professional development (PD) opportunities, and a growing set of free, open-source design activities for every classroom. It is inspired by Day of AI and Day of Climate.

This event is presented by the MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MAD) and the MIT Museum, with support from WPS Institute, and the MIT pK-12 Initiative.

Professional Development

This event is eligible for Professional Development Points (PDPs) in Arts, Mathematics, and Science & Technology/Engineering (grades 7–12) when combined with additional PD hours. If you'd be interested in PDPs, please note this on the form and we'll follow up with more information.

Next Steps

October 2025 to March 2026

Following this event, we will work with a cohort of 8-10 Boston-area teachers from October to March to make the six workshops from the kickoff event classroom-ready. Applications for TIF will be launched at the Fall Event. 

March 2026

This free, open-source material will be released in March of 2026 to support a real-world challenge.

March 2026 to June 2026

We imagine teachers will do workshops on Collaboration Storytelling, and Iteration as a way of teaching those skills explicitly and then dive into the real-world challenge released in March. 

June 2026 or July 2026

Student projects from the challenge will be presented at an event in summer 2026 judged with an emphasis on their process, and how well they engage in the session themes.

Accessibility

Our events are enriched by your presence and we are committed to making them accessible to everyone.

Please email us at [email protected] to request accommodations.