Support the Designers of Tomorrow

Design in the Classroom students

Read more about Cooper Hewitt and the Razoo Foundation on our fundraising campaign page on razoo.com.

We Need Your Help

Your generous donation will help give students the creative-thinking tools they need to become confident problem solvers.

Every gift, no matter the size, supports Design in the Classroom and impacts the future designers of tomorrow. Here’s how your support will make a difference:

  • $12  provides 4 Design Challenge Kits for 4 student teams to EXPLORE the design process.
  • $30 will make sure 30 kids can PROTOTYPE their solutions for their Ready, Set, Design Challenge.
  • $100 trains one teacher to introduce Design in the Classroom’s unique COLLABORATION and COMMUNICATION skills to students.

Help us SHARE THE POWER OF DESIGN WITH America’s school kids

Cooper Hewitt’s innovative Design in the Classroom program brings design directly into children’s lives and teaches students in kindergarten through twelfth grade how to use the principles of design thinking to solve real-life challenges. Designers of all disciplines use design thinking to collaborate and bring creative ideas to life.

How Design in the Classroom Works

Design in the Classroom introduces design thinking to students through our Ready, Set, Design challenge; a hands-on workshop created by Cooper Hewitt educators. Ready, Set, Design provides the opportunity for students to solve a real-life problem using the same stages of the design process as working designers. Organized into teams, students actively observe, collaborate, build prototypes with the props provided in our Design Challenge Kit, present their designs, and critique the results.

A measurable impact on learning

Design thinking sharpens a child’s critical thinking, builds creative confidence, encourages the sharing of multiple perspectives, and bolsters a child’s ability to speak and listen effectively, all skills that fulfill Common Core standards and 21st Century Skills requirements.

Ellen loves Design in the Classroom

Ellen DeGeneres has already contributed to our campaign for Design in the Classroom. Watch her exciting announcement at our National Design Awards.

Tim Gunn believes in this all-important cause