DFA Teams to Help YMCA + CVS Health Make Impact this Fall – Apply Today!
This post was originally published on August 12, 2020.
This term, DFA National is partnering with two leading organizations to provide students new opportunity spaces to make an impact at the local and national level. Students can work in teams within their studio or collaborate with others across the country to do design research, identify insights, and create innovative concepts for the Fall 2020 social impact challenge topics: Sustainable Health + Wellness and Cultivating Changemakers!
CVS Health: Sustainable Health + Wellness
CVS is the largest healthcare company in the country, with 9,900 pharmacies bringing affordable healthcare to American communities. Their purpose is to help people on their path to better health, consistently working to improve the wellbeing of their 160 million customers. CVS knows that the health of our environment is inextricably linked to human health, and is committed to operating sustainably. DFA teams chosen for the National Challenge will explore the question: How can CVS Store Brands’ products and services support the sustainable health and wellness of CVS customers?
Specifically, DFAers will explore sustainable innovations and customer communications, pushing the envelope on what a “sustainable practice” is.
This project will take teams through all steps of the DFA design process, from immersive design research to reframing problem statements to building and testing prototypes and concepts.
CVS Health National Project information and application instructions can be found here.
YMCA: Cultivating Changemakers
Historically, youth are the biggest agents of change in their communities. The YMCA is working to become the organization where young people get the space and support they need to follow their passions, advance their ideas, and act on what’s important to them. In the Spring 2020 Cultivating Changemakers National Project, the Y collaborated with DFA teams from WashU, UT Austin, NYU, Fordham, and MSU to conduct user research, identify key insights, build prototypes, and test their concepts with stakeholders in order to answer the question: how can we engage and empower youth to be changemakers in their communities?
For Fall 2020, the Y is providing five new DFA teams with three starting points that build off the key insights identified by previous teams:
How can we leverage peer-to-peer relationships to inspire youth to be changemakers?
How can we help youth learn changemaking tools and topics so they can make change in their communities?
How can we build supportive communities that validate youth expression and activism?
This project will focus on testing and implementation. Teams who have already worked on a National Project are encouraged to apply.
YMCA National Project information and application instructions can be found here.
Applications are due August 28th at midnight. An application workshop will take place Monday, August 17, from 6-7pm CST for teams to learn how to create compelling applications that speak to the project’s values and mission. Sign Up here.
