The goal is not only to transmit knowledge, but also to develop skills such as empathy, leadership, social responsibility, and trust.
Design for Change is a movement created in India with a simple yet powerful idea: to teach children and young people that they too have the capacity to solve the problems around them.
Present in dozens of countries, the program already involves millions of students in projects related to citizenship, social inclusion, the environment, and community development. The initiative encourages them to observe reality, think about solutions, and act to produce change.
The movement was created by the Indian educator Kiran Bir Sethi, who questioned a teaching model often more concerned with standardized answers than with creativity and critical thinking. From this reflection, a methodology was born that is now considered one of the most innovative in the field of education.
The approach follows a structure known as FIDS — “Feel, Imagine, Do, Share”. First, students identify a problem in their school, neighborhood, or community. Then, they imagine solutions, put them into practice, and share the results achieved. The goal is not only to transmit knowledge but also to develop skills such as empathy, leadership, social responsibility, and confidence.
It is precisely this practical component that has caught the attention of educators in different parts of the world. In several countries, children involved in the project have created initiatives to improve public spaces, support vulnerable peers, promote hygiene habits, encourage recycling, and solve everyday school problems.
At the heart of it all is the "I Can" philosophy, according to which children should not grow up believing that only adults have the capacity to decide, create, or transform society. They too can actively participate in building the present and future.
(By Rafael Langa)
