Building Future Leaders
U:BY Design | Design + Leadership for Life
An interactive workshop for community organizations, public and private schools, with youth ages 8–18 (programming tailored for age groups). These half‑day or full‑day workshops are delivered in partnership with schools and community groups.
Sessions introduce design and systems thinking to participants, building confidence, leadership, and real‑world problem‑solving by design.
Programming at a Glance
In Community, Backed by Industry
In Community, Backed by Industry
In Community, Backed by Industry
U: BY Design has been hosted for schools in the York Region School Board, Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women's Empowerment, CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals, Kind Minds and others supported by Scotiabank and the Interior Designers of Canada Foundation.
What Students Do
In Community, Backed by Industry
In Community, Backed by Industry
• Explore what design is and how it impacts their world.
• Work in teams to tackle a surprise design challenge using the five steps:
Discover, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test.
• Sketch ideas, build quick models, and present to a friendly jury.
• Connect design thinking to their own lives, creating action plans around relationships, education, career, finances, and wellbeing.
Learning Outcomes
In Community, Backed by Industry
Learning Outcomes
• Empathy, collaboration, and creativity.
• Problem framing, ideation, iteration, storytelling.
• Confidence in sharing and presenting ideas.
• Career exposure to design professions.
• Action orientation: students develop realistic skills for school and life.
For School Boards
For Private +Public Schools
For Private +Public Schools
• Supports equity and student engagement at scale.
• Turnkey facilitation with high impact experiential learning.
• Aligns with board strategic goals around well being, creativity, communication, and future readiness.
For Private +Public Schools
For Private +Public Schools
For Private +Public Schools
• Memorable, premium experiential learning.
• Builds student portfolios and leadership artifacts.
• Fits seamlessly into design labs, capstones, and innovation days.
Community Organization
For Private +Public Schools
Community Organization
• High energy, inclusive youth programming.
• Strengthens leadership, communication, and teamwork.
• Ideal for after-school or weekend formats.
