SCHOOL LIBRARY REIMAGINED

Recognising the impact of changes in the future of learning and work on our students’ lives, the school wanted to develop mindsets of curiosity, flexible thinking, and adaptive learning through design thinking — to strengthen their inner resilience, empathy, creative confidence, and team play. The school library served as a real-world context to showcase the approach and build these skills.

The Learning by Design workshop at Holy Innocents’ High School had brought together creative minds through the collaboration between students and educators. Partnering with STUCK design, they worked together to define the traits of conducive learning and teaching spaces. They dived into the world of design thinking – ideation, building empathy, sparking creative confidence, and experimenting with bold new ideas.

The school library became a learning playground where everyone reimagined and prototyped their vision of an ideal learning environment. From defining the necessities of a conducive learning space to testing their concepts with fellow students and educators, the excitement was infectious! The prototypes were well received by the school community, and everyone looked forward to bringing these ideas to life.

Over three jam-packed days, students and educators took a pause on regular lessons to get creative. They formed mixed groups to collaborate side by side, tackled problems from fresh angles and ideated with imaginative solutions.

Each participant built a scale model prototype to tinker with their ideas, turning ideas into tangible objects to share and discuss. They also had a physical object to communicate and share their vision, evaluating them together in a collaborative endeavour where each voice was equally valued, nurturing a participatory culture. This showcased the possibilities when working together as equals between educators and students which also built stronger bonds.

The ideas that emerged from the workshops were inspiring and it led to realisation into actual implementation. The school library underwent renovations to embody the insights and ideas from the workshops. It showcased that creative problem solving can be infused into daily lives. It was not only a space transformation, but also a mindset shift.

Beyond the renovations of the school library, educators continued to explore design thinking within their curriculum and classrooms. They experimented with problem-solving approaches, and shared their learnings with colleagues. The workshop had sparked a ripple effect of creativity, innovation, and continuous improvement across the school.

In the end, the workshop was not only about redesigning spaces — it empowered everyone through the opportunity of experiencing the difference that they could make in their school and community.