Many social challenges that we are facing, such as climate change, inequality or poverty, have been further developed in a short space of time by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many dark narratives are being created, with environmental, social and economical crisis in the first line. But, uncertainties should not frighten or paralyze us; they should help us anticipate and prepare. In the project “Imaginarium,” partners for Luxembourg (Art square Lab), France (Co-Actions), Ireland (M-Powered) and Finland (University of Turku) are going to introduce creativity using Design Thinking and Futures Thinking methodology that will enable a proactive search for possible development solutions for tomorrow. Young people will be ensured that designing the future is, on the one hand, a search for opportunities and potential, and on the other hand, systematic, purposeful and initiating practical solutions, aimed at responding to uncertainty. On the other hand, youth workers will be supported with the research, materials and tools to introduce Futures Thinking and Design Thinking as regular creative ways of thinking for young people, adapted to the new realities. PROJECT OUTPUTS/ACTIVITIES • EVIDENCE-GATHERING REPORT on CHALLENGES FOR FUTURES (Country Reports on challenges young people face in connection to sustainability, based on the research. Qualitative report. What young people think about the future? What do they see as the main challenges now?) • CREATIVITY ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR YOUTH WORK (Creativity Assessment Tool developed with support of the researchers from University of Luxembourg) • Tool-kit FOR CREATIVITY (Toolkit for creativity and Design Thinking for innovative education, with materials like cards and canvas and board game useful for youth workers - materials will be implemented and tested during the project) • GUIDE for FUTURES THINKING for YOUTH WORK (Publication: Futures Thinking in Youth Work - guide for youth workers) • WEB PLATFORM: Website, Blog, Facebook page – a database of materials (Digital platform with examples of “Sustainable futures project” created by young people during Thinkacton) • EVENT THINKACTON (1 per country) for 30-40 young people per country • A series of MULTIPLIER EVENTS (6 in total, implemented in all partner countries) • JOINT STAFF TRAINING EVENT (2 JSTE) for staff and associated youth workers, allowing them to build further their creative competences • LEAFLET promoting the project • YOUTUBE CHANNEL capturing the most important impressions from the project The partnership desired impact is to be considered a referral point for further activities in the field of education for creativity (using Futures Thinking and Design Thinking) thanks to innovative methodologies, tools and approaches used and produced during the Imaginarium Project. • Bring the creativity in non-formal educational system thanks to the Design Thinking and Futures Thinking and creative problem-solving methodologies • Supporting students and educators in developing new sustainable ideas for positive futures • Support educators with materials useful for teaching creativity and sustainability • Support educators with a tool to measure creativity of young people • Professional development of staff and stakeholders: intensive training about the use of creativity in education of young people • Encourage young people to implement their ideas: inform them about the funding possibilities for Solidarity Projects (Erasmus Plus EU Program) and provide them with basic project • management skills fostering social entrepreneurship and employment . The project will be directly addressed to the staff of partner organisations (6-8 persons), youth workers invited to take part in the project (16-20 persons) and80-120 young people. Indirectly, thanks to the diverse expertise of the partners, their geographical distribution and wide networks, the project will address non-formal education sector on national and European levels.
Main goal of the project was introduce creativity using Design Thinking and Futures Thinking methodology in youth work, to enable proactive search for possible development solutions for tomorrow. The activities of the project were build in a way that the theoretical input is interrelated with the experiental practice, to increase the chance that the outputs will be really applied in the field, by youth workers who will use the tools created by the project. It was essential for us to implement the project in an international partnership, pulling in together the experiences from different EU countries. The main objectives were: • Bring the creativity in non-formal educational system thanks to the Design Thinking and Futures Thinking and creative problem-solving methodologies • Supporting students and educators in developing new sustainable ideas for positive futures • Support educators with materials useful for teaching creativity and sustainability • Support educators with a tool to measure creativity of young people • Professional development of staff and stakeholders: intensive training about the use of creativity in education of young people • Encourage young people to implement their ideas: inform them about the funding possibilities for Solidarity Projects (Erasmus Plus EU Program) • management skills fostering social entrepreneurship and employment .
The ambition of the project was to stop talking about general need for creativity and actually start applying it in a structured way in education. The Covid-19 crisis left us with unforgettable need for thinking out of the box, solving problems rapidly and approach new skills that range from learning and innovation skills, critical thinking and problem solving skills, communication and collaboration skills, media and technology skills and many more (Cevik, M. & Senturk C., 2019). But in order to be applied in daily life, the above mentioned skills needs to be put in practice by young people, not only in the moments of current crisis but also for planning their future. So what tools does educational system offer to young people to be the protagonists of the sustainable futures? For sure ability to imagine the positive future and act on implementing it with own hands, without waiting for others to make it done. The Imaginarium Project tried to bring an answer to this challenge and deliver educational tools to support youth workers, educators and young people in this mission.