Train the trainer: Design Thinking in STEM permanently integrated in Chile

Design Thinking in STEM, a collaboration between Siemens Stiftung and Denmark’s The Index Project organization, enters a new phase in 2021 with the permanent integration of Design Thinking in STEM into classroom lessons in Chile. Starting in May, the project’s rollout phase for STEM educators begins in cooperation with Chile’s PUC Villarrica and PUC Valparaíso universities. Prior to the project’s rollout, Latin American educators were introduced to the innovative teaching and learning method of Design Thinking in 2019/20, with collaborative opportunities for preparing the materials for their lessons.

The goal of the second phase of the project is to build a network of certified trainers for STEM educators in Chile. In turn, these trainers can familiarize other educators with the Design Thinking method. The train-the-trainer program consists of four modules and runs from May to September 2021. In each module, participants from the 2019/20 workshops are introduced to the theories behind the practice and the logic supporting the method.

With interdisciplinary and solution-based approaches to learning, the use of Design Thinking in classrooms promotes key future competencies, such as innovative ability, creativity, empathy, and collaboration. In addition to the creative process, the Design Thinking in STEM project introduces the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to science and technology lessons. The SDGs provide a subject matter framework for addressing specific problems.