Are your students consuming the future or creating it? As educators, we often talk about “preparing students for the future,” but we have a unique opportunity to do more: we can give them the tools to solve the problems of the present. The West Michigan Design Prize (WMDP) does exactly that.

By focusing on real-world challenges, such as the 2025-2026 goal of improving social connections and well-being, and collaborating with industry experts, the WMDP creates a space where students have the agency to tackle tough problems, and teachers become empowered leaders. Through this process, educators become experts in Design Thinking, a creative, human-centered approach to innovation (Harvard Business School, 2022).

The West Michigan Design Prize isn’t just a competition; it’s a powerful engine for student engagement, blending durable skills with career readiness.

Empowering Students as Creative Problem Solvers

For a student, the WMDP is a transformative experience that shifts the focus from “What do I need to know for the test?” to “How can I make an impact?” Students aren’t just “learning about” design; they are:

• Developing Durable Skills: Through the design thinking process, students practice and master the “future-proof” skills that AI can’t replace, such as collaboration and communication. Research from America Succeeds (2024) shows a growing demand for durable skills across 76% of industries and the need for students to have these skills when entering the workforce.
  • Collaboration & Communication: “We had to learn how to listen to each other’s ideas… we combined them to make an excellent solution.”
  • Empathy: “We had to think about other people’s needs and consider multiple perspectives. It’s inspiring to make people feel better.”

• Working with Industry Mentors: Students receive direct feedback from professionals at Steelcase, Progressive Companies, and Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD). This bridges the gap between the classroom and a career.
• Owning Their Learning: By pitching solutions at the final showcase, students stop seeing themselves as “just students” and start seeing themselves as designers.

How an Interconnected Support System Empowers Teachers

The WMDP isn’t “one more thing” for your to-do list; it is a professional catalyst. We provide a safety net of support so you can focus on the joy of teaching:

• Integrated Coaching: You aren’t left to figure out the design process on your own. You’ll receive comprehensive training and ongoing support from Kent ISD consultants and industry mentors.
• Curricular Relevance: We help you find the “hooks” in your existing curriculum, providing a ready-made framework that hits core standards through an engaging, project-based lens.
• Leadership & Recognition: Participating teachers earn 10 SCECHs and emerge as recognized experts in innovative, career-connected instruction.

“Thank you for everything you have done… for helping the kids feel like they have valuable ideas for their school and world.” – WMDP Teacher

Using Design Thinking to Accelerate Student Engagement

Using the Kent ISD Engagement Accelerators, the WMDP ensures the benefits go deeper than a medal:

• Student-Centered Learning: Driven by student voice and choice, which naturally increases motivation.
• Instructional Moves: Teachers shift into a “coach” role, using feedback loops to deepen student thinking.
• Climate/Environment: We build a space for “productive struggle.” By embracing the “messy middle” of design, students build the growth mindset needed for a changing world.
• Asset-Driven Teaching: We view students’ diverse backgrounds not as obstacles, but as the very assets needed to solve complex community problems.
• Relationships: Teachers and students form a collaborative partnership, creating a sense of belonging that is essential for both learning and well-being.

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Ready to Lead Change in Your Classroom?

Whether it’s seeing a student’s face light up during a pitch at Grand Rapids Tech Week or watching a teacher lead their class into a new era of hands-on learning, the results are clear: the WMDP builds visionary leaders.

Join us for an Immersive Design Sprint! Experience the process for yourself! Join our onboarding session to practice the stages of Design Thinking and walk away with a clear roadmap for your classroom.

• When: Tuesday, June 9, 2026 | 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
• Where: Kent ISD
• The Perks: Earn 10 SCECHs and integrate the challenge directly into your 2026-2027 curriculum.

Can’t make it on June 9? We still want to partner with you. Reach out to me at lindsaylane@kentisd.org to schedule a one-on-one chat or to learn how your school can join the movement.

Where students learn. Teachers lead. Communities connect.

References:

• America Succeeds (2024). The High Demand for Durable Skills.
• Harvard Business School Online (2022). What is Design Thinking?
• Kent ISD. Student Engagement Accelerators Framework.

This blog post was written by Lindsay Lane, Innovative Teaching and Learning Consultant at Kent ISD, and edited by Amanda Walma, T&L Marketing and Communications Specialist for Kent ISD.