ABOUT DESIGN FUTURES:

Design Futures Forum is a leadership development initiative that centers principles of racial justice and social equity. We seek to support students and practitioners to think critically about power, privilege, and positionality in the practice of community-engaged design and to reframe the role of the designer to address and dismantle systemic oppression in the built environment. We do this through a five-day interdisciplinary training attended by student leaders and faculty leaders, a professional development convening, and a national professional network of individuals committed to social and racial justice.

OUR CAMPAIGN:

As a national leadership development program, we’re looking to create local impact in our host city of St. Louis, MO. This year, we are fundraising $5000 to offer five scholarships to local emerging community and student leaders looking to incorporate community-engaged design into their work and attend Design Futures 2020 hosted by Washington University in Saint Louis. We hope to partner with Local Leaders from community based non-profits, St. Louis Community College, and other nearby social justice organizations. Help us fundraise for our inaugural Local Leaders Cohort! All donations are tax deductable.

It costs about $1000 per student to implement Design Futures- these costs cover all program related activities, including workshop facilitators, delicious locally catered food, keynote lectures, and tours that highlight local best practice projects and organizations. We’re asking alumni and faculty members from past Design Futures and supporters at large, to help us start our Local Leaders cohort, so that we can open up Design Futures to members of the community without a registration fee. Our goal is to raise $5000 and have 5 spots for a local cohort, much like a university-sponsored cohort. This is an opportunity to ensure we are building local leadership capacity and is an amazing opportunity for national student leaders to learn from peers in the local host city.

Design Futures is more than just a convening, it is a loving and supportive community of individuals pushing the limits of impact to strive for a more equitable everyday. The relationships fostered during the five-day convening push beyond the week to create a network of impact across the nation. 

“Design Futures challenged me to look at community development work in a new way. I feel enlightened, uplifted, connected, and curious for the future. The best part of the experience is knowing you are not alone in approaching design work through a holistic, liberated lense. I am excited to get back to work in Detroit, and watch the amazing work DF alumni continue to do around our country and world.” – Ian McCain, University of Detroit Mercy