Healthy+Lifestyle+2.0

First, we identified the problem from the global, local, and individual level. To gain a national perspective on where we're at and where we're heading if things don't change, check out [|The Obesity Epidemic]
 * The Challenge:** Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle in the 21st Century

Our learners at ILC are turning the obesity epidemic into a problem based learning challenge. Through a grant funded by the Wallace Foundation, a team of thirty ILC learners, community members, and learning facilitators spent two weeks at [|The D School] at Standford where they explored the process of innovative thinking. Rather than addressing the healthy lifestyle challenge during their two week stay, the team learned how to create a climate for creativity. The D Team engaged in creative thinking strategies including [|design thinking], [|brainstorming]and [|prototyping]. Upon their return, the D School team then applied these creative problem solving strategies in leading their school and community to address the healthy lifestyle challenge. One of the team's first tasks was to create a climate for creativity.
 * Our Response**

As a result of this experience, the D Team developed a creativity survey based on [|Ekvall's Climate Dimensions] that was given to all learners and learning facilitators. The D Team utilized these results to begin creating a climate where innovative thinking becomes 'standard operating procedure'. One of the D Team's first steps was to redesign the physical space as a means to promote and sustain creative thinking. While visiting The D School, the team made a video of the [|physical workspace] to assist them in prototyping a variety of low-cost design features for the ILC space.
 * Creating a Climate for Creativity**

Currently, the team is protyping the following physical design features throughout ILC: - Four 'meeting hubs' are located throughout the building. Hubs are stocked with materials such as post-its, chart paper, and markers to encourage brainstorming and protyping of new ideas - 'Chill'in' centers are locatd throughout ILC and are designed to encourage playful and comfortable small-group meeting areas. Couches, beanbags, rugs, low-level lighting and playful design features are critical to these spaces. - Displays of art and 'works in progress' are displayed throughout the facility - Large message boards are posted throughout ILC to encourage the sharing of problems, ideas, failures, debates, etc.
 * Physical Space**



The ILC staff are encouraged to utlize the physical features as a way to create a sense of freedom in which everyone (staff and students) can interact without hierarchical constraints. Such interaction creates trust, a critical ingredient to a climate of creativity.

In addition to redesigning our physical space, ILC is redesigning how we think. The D Team will lead the staff in approaching everyday teaching and learning through the lens of design thinking and creative problem solving. This new way of thinkings will be applied to all three learning strands.
 * Cognitive Features**