Cultivating Creative Learning in Community — An iterative design process

Abstract

Creativity is an inherent part of human development, it is the progress of thought; our natural inclination to innovate, invent, and create. Simply put, we have the ability to process, analyze and imagine future outcomes of everyday situations. Evidence suggests that creative education can support cognitive development and enhance our ability to problem solve. In the past decade, curriculum reform in Kenya has shifted from teacher-based approaches to learner-centered approaches (with the introduction of Competency-Based Curriculum). While this may support the next generation of creative thinkers, the lack of funding to support creative education on a national level and the insufficient supply of free resources to most public schools pose a challenge to educators. Despite the appeal of the new curriculum, requirements for parents to be more involved in their children’s learning further pronounce wealth and education gaps amongst students, further impeding the child’s success.

This design thesis presents the iterative process behind the ongoing development process of Somoto, a creative learning service established through the DesignX accelerator at MIT. Through community collaboration, Somoto aims to establish a network of creative learning spaces in Nairobi, Kenya. Drawing from a place-based community development approach; the design proposal identifies community assets and existing resources such as community libraries and cyber cafes to enhance creative education programming within low-income communities in Nairobi.