A designer Emily Pilloton mudou-se para o rural Condado de Bertie, na Carolina do Norte, para participar numa experiência arrojada de transformação de design levada a cabo pela comunidade. Ela ensina uma turma de designers, chamada Studio H, que atrai as mentes e os corpos dos alunos do secundário enquanto desenvolve um design inteligente e novas oportunidades para o condado mais pobre do estado.

Ensinar design para a mudança

Applying hands-on design and building to education can spark pride and progress in even the most struggling communities. In Bertie County, North Carolina, where only 27 percent of students passed state standards and one in three children lives in poverty, a radical design-build curriculum turned students into creators of tangible local change. Projects like student-built farmers' markets and playgrounds elevated learning and connected the classroom to community needs. This approach shows that creativity and collaboration can unlock new futures for rural youth and their towns.