Register now for the 2011 Lab here

—Where design changes the world—

Where your vision, values, critical thinking, and creative imagination combine with a global, whole systems perspective and a problem solving and strategic planning methodology that leads to informed, effective action for changing the world.

—Where emergency leads to emergence—

   Where YOU make the difference.

What the Lab is:

Students and young professionals from around the world* are coming to the 2011 Lab. They will be briefed by UN experts (from the UN Development Program, UN Environmental Program, UNESCO, UNICEF, WHO and other UN agencies), develop comprehensive strategies for solving some of the world's most critical problems, and then present their work at the UN. They will learn a powerful strategic design and planning methodology that will be of use for the rest of their life, as well learn about leadership, problem solving and the design revolution. They will learn about global problems, options, technology, culture, resources and what they can do to make a difference. They will meet others with similar passions about the state of the world— and what we can do to make things better.

The Design Science Lab is where solutions to global and local problems are developed— by you. Read more

* Previous Lab participants have come from Spain, Mexico, France, Ireland, Tanzania, Ghana, Haiti, Canada, China, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, India, Palestine, Zimbabwe, Ukraine, Lithuania, Sudan, Nepal, Turkey, Venezuela and all over the US.

Who it is for:

Students from college and high school as well as teachers and young professionals from around the world.

When:

June 19 - 27, 2011

Where:

Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, PA, and
United Nations, NY

Focus:

• Using mobile computers (a.k.a. cell phones) to meet the world's basic human needs
• Urban regeneration to meet basic human needs

What you will learn, do, and get:

• You will learn a problem solving and planning methodology, developed by Buckminster Fuller and other scientists and designers, that will be of use to you the rest of your life
• You will learn about critical global problems that impact the lives of everyone in the world, as well as the opportunities associated with these problems, and what we can do to change the current situation
• You will work collaboratively with other participants from around the world on designing real world solutions to a critical real world problem
• You will be briefed by United Nations staff and other experts on global problems and opportunities
• You will present you work to a team of UN and other experts
• Your work will be published as a book
• You will receive a comprehensive digital collection of the latest reports from the UN and research organizations around the world on the state of the planet (over $1,000 worth of reports and studies on energy, climate change, the global economy, food, and many other topics).
• You will work very hard and have fun doing it.

Skills Covered

• Problem Solving
• Design Science and Strategic Planning
• Collaborative Research
• Information Visualization
• Project Management
• Research
• Public Speaking
• Team Building
• Leadership
• Taking initiatives
• Critical Path Scheduling
• Fun under stress

Special Sessions

• The State of the World 2010 and 2020
• Globalization 101: Forces Shaping Our Future
• Global Environmental Systems
• Climate Change: What's Real?
• Global Energy Systems
• Global Food Systems
• Global Water Situation
• Youth Leadership
• Strategic Design and Planning
• Buckminster Fuller and Design Science
• Global Problems/Local Solutions & Local Problems/Global Solutions
• The United Nations and Global Well-being
• Building Peace Through the Design Revolution

Check out:

• Goals of the Lab
• Previous Design Science Labs and Reports
• Movie of previous year's Design Science Lab work
• Lab Sponsors: BigPictureSmallWorld, Global Education Motivators and EarthGame
• TUITION, REGISTRATION and HOUSING for this year's Lab
  

“The most astonishing thing about Spaceship Earth: it didn't come with an operating manual."

—Buckminster Fuller