Experimental knowledge lab, the UnSchool of Disruptive Design has opened applications for local creative change-makers of social innovation and sustainability to join the Cape Town- based programme.
The UnSchool of Disruptive Design commencing in May, offers a nine week-long fellowship innovation programme in content and education in the subject of design. Targeted at professionals and emerging leaders, the programme pops up in different international cities and so far it has been activated in New York, Mexico City, Berlin, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Melbourne, Christchurch and most recently, Mumbai.
The UnSchool of Disruptive Design is the brainchild of Dr Leyla Acaroglu, UNEP Champion of the Earth, TED speaker and globally renowned sustainability provocateur.
The not-for profit initiative, according to Acaroglu, is designed based on the specifics of the host-city and covers a broad range of thinking and practical toolsets using technology such as Ed-tech platforms, gamification, tech-enabled apps and tools and the muse system, among others.
"At the UnSchool we help people become problem lovers not avoiders, thereby unlocking creative potential and uncovering the many diverse ways we can all activate our own agency to affect positive change in the things we do. The disruptive design method is a way in which we can help emerging leaders globally, to develop positive interventions that help solve and evolve some of the complex problems that the world faces," says Acaroglu.
The UnSchool is for people who have deep-seated desires to contribute to the world in a more positive purpose-driven way, she adds.
The programme accepts between 16 to 20 adults from 20 to 60 years of age, for a seven-day intensive, brain-activating experience via a selective application process. The culturally diverse fellowship is an adventure on how to make a positive impact. It also focuses on activating and empowering fellows through immersive learning, active participation and mentorship.
"We find that quite a few of the people that come to our programmes are those who feel they are professionally 'stuck'. They have identified they are lacking skills to effectively intervene in their problem arena, and want to fill their knowledge gaps by participating in a rapid and unique experience, rather than a boring course," continues Acaroglu.
UnSchool fellows gain valuable experience in disruptive design; social innovation; collaboration; entrepreneurship and social change. The curriculum is diverse, ranging from sessions on creative leadership to gamification and cognitive sciences, she elaborates.
The technical knowledge offered, she notes, is complemented by an adventure-based experience that takes participants out in the world working with and learning from local entrepreneurs and change makers, giving them an opportunity to experience first-hand what it takes to be successful in a career of creating change.
Some of the leading mentors in the programme include: Vuyisa Qabaka, Founding Partner at Entrepreneur Traction, Mokena Makeka, Founder and Principal of Makeka Design Lab, and water maverick and disrupter, Bernelle Vester. Applicants will join these world-changers for an incredible week of workshops, field visits, and real-world design challenges.
The first edition of the South African, Cape Town- based fellowship programme will run from 26 May to 1 June 2018. Applications are open from 15 January until 5 February 2018.
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