The Future is E.P.I.C.

By: Lucinda A.

Last month, July 12th-14th, Intern Mayumi L., Apprentice Kate W., Ms. Sam and Mr. Paul Wynns, and I ran an inaugural three day symposium for high schoolers! This symposium taught them the new, innovative skills which the students ultimately implemented to solve problems in their community. It was a huge success, but it took months to prepare! This blog post talks about the preparation and the ultimate execution of this event.

A group of youth participants stand smiling in front of the University of San Diego building, holding their E.P.I.C. D4Y certificates. They are joined by Lucindia A., Mayumi L., and Kate W., who stand among them.

Introduction

Last year, the Prebys Foundation gave the Ecologik Institute a grant to onboard over 9 paid interns! I was granted the privilege of being chosen to be Ecologik’s Design and Innovation Intern. Throughout this internship, I translated documents, created curriculum, ran workshops, facilitated meetings, and led many small projects. My main capstone project was to design, develop, and ultimately run a three-day youth symposium based upon Design Thinking. I worked alongside intern Mayumi L. to create this unique event! While I loved all aspects of my internship, this event was, by far, my favorite. 

Where It All Began

Before delving into how I went about designing this event, it’s crucial to first understand how the idea for the program came about. Sam Wynns, the Executive Director of The EcoLogik Institute is married to Paul Wynns, a PhD student at UC San Diego. Paul spends much of his time working as a teaching assistant in the Design Thinking department and also develops a military conference on Design Thinking called D.A.R.E. When The Ecologik Institute received a large grant from the San Diego Foundation to host a youth symposium, Ms. Sam thought a Design Thinking conference for high schoolers—similar to the one Paul runs for the military—would be the perfect way to use those funds. The San Diego Foundation also wanted youth to use this symposium to solve issues in their communities, so it was perfect! At that point, there was no name, no confirmed attendees, and no one to run the event. And that’s when E.P.I.C. D4Y was born! Design Thinking is an innovative, human-centered approach to developing solutions. The process—from designing solutions to implementing them— is built on working with the community, not just for the community. The emphasis is on identifying the right problem before jumping to the right solutions. At the conference, youth would have the opportunity to explore these principles— but first, Mayumi and I had to learn them ourselves. 

Early Stages

The first few months of my internship were dedicated to learning about Design Thinking and beginning the very early planning stages of the symposium. In September, Paul, Mayumi, and I  met for the first time to review the basics of Design Thinking and the foundational models of the process. More specifically, we learned about the Double Diamond Model of Design Thinking. This model was developed after professionals spent years studying successful groups and how they worked together. The first diamond is based upon generating a problem statement and the second is about creating a solution. In October, we began diving deeper. We learned about what specific strategies are necessary for Design Thinking. We practiced the methods used to ideate problems and create solutions. In November, we began to solidify exactly what we would be teaching at the event. We went over the main skills and ideas we wished to share and began to format a general outline of how the curriculum would flow. 

In November, the preparation for the symposium truly began! While we continued to learn about Design Thinking, I began to plan the event. The planning began in October with a meeting with the Executive Director of The Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education at the University of San Diego. During that meeting, we shared our goals for the event and what we hoped to accomplish. By the end of the meeting, they had generously offered to allow us to use their spaces for our symposium and agreed to promote the event with their other partners. In November, we also solidified the date and name. E.P.I.C. D4Y stands for Efficient, Precise, Innovative, Collaborative, Design for Youth, and we began to use the name on all official documents!

December was a busy month for E.P.I.C. D4Y planning. I created the first drafts of the logo, flyer, schedule, curriculum, slides, and application for the symposium. During this month, especially over my winter break, I spent hours working on these projects, going through draft after draft. This month, I also began to connect with youth apprentices who would help facilitate at the event. That team consisted of Malia, Elizabeth, and Kate. Although only Kate was able to attend the symposium, all three contributed valuable insights during our meetings! Earlier in October, I had attended a special Design Thinking event hosted by UCSD where I had the pleasure of meeting Mai Nguyen, the head of the Design Lab. By December, we began collaborating with their Design Lab!

Lucinda A., wearing a blue E.P.I.C. D4Y shirt and black pants, stands at the front of a classroom presenting to a group of seated youth participants. She gestures toward a projected PowerPoint slide while explaining concepts about design thinking. The youth participants are focused on her presentation, some taking notes, in a well-lit room with tables and chairs.

Laying The Groundwork

With the new year came months of advertising! January was spent getting all materials approved, including logos, slides, flyers, curriculum, and the application.  In February, we finalized the symposium schedule, covering all presentation elements and daily layouts. On Valentine’s Day, the team toured the available spaces at USD, and by the following week, we had officially confirmed the location. March and April were devoted to triple-checking that all materials were correct. Since these months fell during finals for many on the team, things were especially hectic! 

When May arrived, we faced the hardest part of planning: securing attendees. We reached out to all of our partners and encouraged them to share the symposium with their networks. We shared the flyer, posted on social media, and emailed countless organizations. Despite our efforts applications were coming in too slowly, which was stressful. To help, we extended the deadline and began accepting individual applicants as well. Thankfully, this solved the problem, and we received just enough applications!

June turned out to be the busiest month of all. ! We held weekly meetings, maintained regular check-ins, and worked through an extensive to-do list! We ordered merchandise for the event, ran multiple scheduled rehearsals, rechecked the rooms, confirmed catering, assigned groups, refined the slides, and practiced the presentations. Finally the team and I felt ready for the big day! 

The first two weeks of July were spent tying together all of the last-minute details, and practicing for the presentation! Then, before we knew it, the day of the event had arrived! 

A classroom filled with students working in small groups. Tables are cluttered with colorful papers, markers, and other craft materials. Some students are seated and focused on their work, while others stand and chat with teammates.

Three Days of Innovation

When the weekend finally came upon us, we were ready! We set-up the room, laid out all of the supplies, and reviewed last-minute details. Then the participants began to arrive. 

Day 1 was dedicated to introducing what Design Thinking and the problems the youth participants would be solving. We kicked things off with an inspiring presentation by Brian Leduc from the UCSD Design Lab, which immediately sparked interest among the participants. That day, we covered the  Double Diamond Model, the basics of brainstorming, and strategies for generating ideas. Right before lunch, we introduced the challenge questions provided by our funders: one focused on increasing environmental justice, and the other on how people can heal through nature. Half of the groups tackled the first challenge, while the other half took on the second. After lunch, the groups spent the rest of the afternoon identifying the root problems in their communities. They brainstormed, ran gallery walks, and shared ideas. By the end of Day 1, everyone was exhausted! Some participants headed home, while others joined us for a fun evening hangout with movies, board games, and relaxed conversations! 

Day 2 began with excitement as we welcomed an amazing guest speaker—former CESAP apprentice Isabella Miller—who shared her storytelling strategies and how she structures her documentaries. Participants eagerly asked questions about presentation tips, narrative formatting, and much more! Lucky for us, Isabella got to stick around until lunch, giving the youth participants even more time to connect with her. That day, we introduced additional brainstorming strategies and methods for framing both solution statements.  After lunch, the afternoon was dedicated entirely to problem-solving. outh participants took ownership of their projects while our team facilitated as needed. The entire day was dedicated to solving the problem they had determined yesterday. They all did amazing and, by the end of the day, each group had developed solutions! 

Day 3 was my personal favorite, it was time for the youth participants to showcase their hard work! The previous day, each group had nominated one presenter, so we began by separating presenters from non-presenters. Presenters formed two teams (one per challenge question) to finalize their presentations and materials, while non presenters attended an admissions talk and toured the campus. By lunchtime, our guests began to arrive. We had invited changemakers and community leaders from across San Diego, and while attendance was slightly lower than we had hoped, the room was still full. At 1:00 pm, presentations began, and I was blown away. Each presenter clearly and confidently shared their group’s problem, solution, and process. Their creativity and professionalism were inspiring. The symposium concluded with a dessert reception where youth mingled with guests and one another. To end on an exciting note, Ms. Sam announced that every group would receive funding to implement their solutions. While the youth already knew this, it was a surprise for the audience. Their excitement was contagious.

We wrapped up the day with certificates, a group photo, and heartfelt goodbyes. 

A large classroom with several students standing in a line in front of easels displaying blank flip‑chart paper. Behind them, the wall is covered with colorful posters, sketches, and handwritten notes from brainstorming sessions. The students are dressed in semi‑formal attire, smiling and standing confidently as they present their work.

A Weekend to Remember

This event was absolutely incredible, and I feel so lucky to have been a part of it. From recruiting applicants to meeting deadlines and forming partnerships, the challenges were many. But watching the students present their ideas made it all worthwhile. I will never forget how proud I felt seeing them share what they had learned and accomplished. Their excitement, creativity, and brilliance were the highlight of my weekend. 

The problems identified by the groups were innovative, and their solutions were equally  creative. I can’t wait for communities to see these solutions of these groups come to life.Over the next six months, we will work closely with the groups to implement their solutions, providing monthly meetings and regular assignments to ensure they have the tools and support they need to succeed! 

Lucinda A., wearing a blue E.P.I.C. D4Y shirt and black pants, stands at the front of a room presenting to youth participants. She gestures toward a projected PowerPoint slide while explaining concepts about the Double Diamond Model of Design Thinking.

Celebrating the Journey

I truly hope that we receive the funding to run this event again next year because it was unforgettable. It took many people and tons of hard work to create this unique event, but it was all worth it. I am so grateful for the amazing team I had behind me. Their support, encouragement, and collaboration made planning this event possible. I could not have done it without The Ecologik Institute team supporting me. Keep checking in to see all of the amazing things these youth accomplish, along with more updates from the awesome E.P.I.C. D4Y symposium!

About the author

Lucinda A. is currently the Design and Innovation Intern at the Ecologik Institute. She has been involved with the program since she was 12 years old –over 5 years ago! She was a camper in 2020 (virtually) and in-person in 2021. Since then she has been a CESAP apprentice, a camp instructor, and now an intern. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in microbiology, studying either genetics or viruses in a lab. She is also interested in pursuing a career in the math field. When she’s not planning the next fun event, she enjoys reading, swimming, spending time with family and friends, and advocating for greater  inclusivity in the STEAM field.