DESIGN THINKING SERIES 2: Empathizing An Issue

Ms. Anne Sharkey, American High School Teacher and PYLP Training Facilitator

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“When we look at issues it is easy to think in numbers.”

Ms. Anne

Who is the presenter?

Anne Sharkey is a teacher at Huntley High School, specializing in World History, Global Citizenship, and Sustainable Development. Anne has been working with the Huntley High School Global Academy since 2016, focusing on developing student leaders and creating awareness on issues of climate, food insecurity, refugees, and other issues in the Sustainable Development Goals. Working with high school students to apply levels of design thinking to create sustainable projects has been a passion of Anne’s through the Huntley High School Global Academy and the Illinois Global Scholar program.

What is the Presentation About?

In this presentation, students will gain an understanding of design thinking and learn how it creates a more individual-focused impact. Through the process of design thinking, you will identify and empathize with your individual communities, define your problem, investigate the problem and solutions, brainstorm ideas, create a prototype of what could be made, and test and continue to make changes.

To do the tasks below and accomplish the learning outcomes, please watch this video presentation or watch via YouTube.

What are your tasks and the learning outcomes?

  1. On Your Own: To describe the importance of empathy in community engagement
  2. With A Team: To write a paragraph or two to complete the suggested steps in developing a community project
  3. With Your Community: To recruit community members in helping you lead a community engagement