Imagining the future of student-led learning at Michigan Central REP4® Detroit Design Blitz

Twenty-five high school juniors from University Prep Art & Design High School participated in the Blitz, working through the REP4® design thinking process. Split into small teams, they interviewed current Grand Valley students about their experiences transitioning from high school to college.

They found two recurring themes: students struggled with both loneliness and mental health during their first year in college. In response, the teams created prototypes of on-campus groups, student-centered apps and tools that help combat these issues, then presented their ideas and received feedback from the student mentors in the room.

The experience forced the students to think fast and collaborate on ideas, working in a way they rarely do on a typical school day, said Jamal Carter, a junior at University Prep Art & Design. "School is just strictly, you know, work on papers, A to B, this, C to B that. This [lets us] actually use our minds and our creativity," said Carter. "I got to collaborate with people around me and build something together."