Located deep within the Boreal Forest of Northern Manitoba, our team travelled to Barren Lands First Nation to introduce students to the design-build process guided by our micro-accredited curriculum. Working together with the Manitoba Construction Sector Council and the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, students were encouraged to explore and develop design concepts for a small-scale structure within their community. Throughout our process, students were exposed to methods and tools such as site analysis, sketching/modeling, drafting, budgeting, digital fabrication, and VR/AR technologies, all while using storytelling as the guiding principle to creatively explore and openly communicate all their ideas.

Our team would collaborate with Balmoral Hall School to introduce and guide their students through the design process using our design-build curriculum. For five days, students worked in groups and navigated this process using collage making, site analysis, programming, sketching, and physical and/or digital modeling to conceptualize and design a small-scale structure for their school. Students were able to explore and discover new skills, tools, and passions, as well as develop a whole new perspective weaving together both modern and traditional ways of knowing.

Introducing our first collaboration with a post-secondary institution, members of our team would guide students from Sheridan College through our design-build curriculum to conceptualize their own idea. Over the span of a single semester and working remotely, we were able to engage with the students by emphasizing certain creative and critical thinking practices using storytelling, land-based teachings, and immersive technologies. The intent of this workshop was to introduce a new perspective to their design approach and weave together new and traditional ways of knowing.

Members of our team introduced and guided high school students through the design process using our design-build curriculum. Students were able to explore the many layers involved with this process such as storytelling, site analysis, sketching, and physical/digital modeling, to fully understand and conceptualize their visions and ideas for a small-scale structure. This workshop allowed every student the opportunity to explore and discover what potential career related paths are out there while developing new skills along the way.

Collaborating with the Frontier School Division’s Engaged Learners Program, our team and a group of northern Indigenous High School students came together to design and construct a warming hut. Guided by our design-build curriculum, students were able to reflect, discover, and express themselves creatively throughout the entire process. By working together, they were able to combine both new and traditional perspectives with innovative ways of making to share the stories that matter to them. What resulted was a culmination of ideas, all developed and determined by the students themselves.

In collaboration with the Frontier School Division, the northern Manitoba communities of Churchill and Lynn Lake were selected to participate in our first design-build workshop. Using remote learning practices, we were able to collaborate with a group of local junior high and high school students to develop a concept for a small-scale project located within their home communities. The intent of this workshop was to introduce students to the plethora of ideas, skills, and tools used within the design-build process.

Completely born out of curiosity and the energy of our youth, this workshop involved collaborating with a group of elementary students from École South Pointe School. Each student was asked to use their full imagination and draw their dream playhouse. The intent of this workshop was to celebrate the unique qualities within every individual and allow them the opportunity to express their creativity through the thoughtful design of a playhouse!