We created the Global Children’s Designathon because we saw a gap between learning about global challenges and actively shaping solutions to them. Children are growing up in a time of climate instability, social fragmentation and rapid technological change yet they are rarely positioned as contributors to solutions.
Education often treats sustainability and wellbeing as topics to study rather than systems to influence. We wanted to create a model where children move from awareness to agency. Where they develop empathy, systems thinking and practical problem-solving skills while addressing real issues in their communities.
We believe planetary health requires not only scientific knowledge, but imagination, ethical reflection and collaboration. By empowering children as designers of change, we aim to cultivate a generation that does not feel powerless in the face of global challenges but is capable of shaping healthier futures for people and planet.
In practice, the Global Children’s Designathon is implemented as a structured Designathon cycle in schools and community clubs worldwide.
Children aged 7–12 participate in a guided process consisting of five stages: Inspire & Research, Ideate, Sketch, Prototype and Present. Working in teams, they explore a real-world social or environmental challenge connected to the annual theme (e.g. Planetary Kindness), generate ideas and build tangible prototypes using accessible materials and simple technologies.
Teachers and facilitators (hosts) can download a ready-to-use toolkit including a guidebook and workshop materials, enabling implementation in both high-resource and low-resource contexts.
Each local Designathon culminates in a public presentation moment where children share their prototypes with peers, parents, community members and a panel of experts. During the process, children also connect globally through an online showcase event, allowing it to exchange ideas across countries and cultures.
The model is implemented in one day, but can be spread across several sessions, making it adaptable to different educational systems.
In practice, the innovation transforms classrooms into collaborative design studios where children actively shape solutions for people and planet.
The Global Children’s Designathon has spread organically through a combination of teacher networks, partnerships and open-access toolkits.
Since its launch in 2014, the model has expanded to 59 countries on every continent, reaching diverse contexts including schools, community clubs and refugee settings. Growth has largely been driven by our community network and through storytelling. Educators/hosts who implement the Global Children's Designathon often invite colleagues or partner organisations to join the following year.
Because the model is lightweight, theme-based and culturally adaptable, it can be implemented in both high-resource and low-resource environments. This flexibility has allowed the Global Children’s Designathon to scale steadily while maintaining local relevance.
The Global Children’s Designathon has evolved continuously in response to feedback from children and educators across diverse contexts.
Originally designed as a single event, it is now available in both one-day and multi-session formats. Hosts use its modular structure flexibly, integrating onsite expert visits, community engagement moments or extended making phases with additional technology components. Based on host feedback, we established an online community platform to enable connection, peer learning and knowledge exchange. Materials are adaptable to different age groups and learning needs, including refugee and underserved settings.
The thematic focus has also deepened. While early editions centred broadly on sustainability and innovation, recent iterations intentionally integrate planetary health, systems thinking and social-emotional learning. The current theme, Planetary Kindness, explicitly connects ecological wellbeing with empathy and community resilience.
To increase accessibility, we simplified material requirements so the Designathon can be implemented in low-resource environments, while offering optional simple technology maker kits where available.
This iterative development ensures the innovation remains inclusive, scalable and responsive to emerging global challenges.
If you would like to try the Global Children’s Designathon, you can start by registering on our platform (https://designathons.mn.co/). After registration, you receive access to a ready-to-use facilitation toolkit, including a guidebook and workshop resources.
The 11th edition will culminate on 18 April 2026, when young participants around the world work in parallel and connect to share their ideas and insights.
The model requires only basic classroom materials (paper, cardboard, markers, recycled materials), making it accessible in both high-resource and low-resource settings. Optional technology components can be added where available.
Educators are invited to join the Community of Practice, where they can access webinars, exchange experiences and connect with other hosts worldwide. Throughout the process, our team provides guidance and support.
In short: register, receive the toolkit, facilitate the five-step process with your students, and join the global movement of children designing solutions for people and planet!
