Impact Week Shillong 2024
Martin Luther Christian University, Shillong
Impact Week India General Information
Who we are:
Impact Week is a non-profit program that unites people from a variety of countries and organizations. It promotes innovation and entrepreneurship skill progression in developing and emerging economies as a foundation for sustainable growth by establishing sustainable business models using Design Thinking. It equips the next generation for employment, to become inspiring leaders – successful entrepreneurs and game-changers, regardless of their field or level of expertise.
Our Mission
We foster innovation & entrepreneurship as well as intercultural & intercompany exchange through Design Thinking.“
Our Approach
Our Impact Weeks are a two-week in-person event in the host country and it entails an energizing cocktail of post-its, brainstorming, fun team building activities, intense learning, and intercultural connections.
The program outline is as follows:
1. Week One: Train-the-Coach Phase
A selected group of faculty members from academic institutions across the state will undergo a 3-day training in Design Thinking methodology from July 4-6,under the mentorship of experienced Design Thinking experts who we refer to as Senior Coaches. By the end of the week, the participants become Junior Design Thinking Coaches and are ready to coach other participants.
2. Week Two: Design Thinking Challenge
The newly graduated Junior Design Thinking Coaches will now apply Design Thinking and coaching concepts learnt during week one to lead the teams of regular participants under the guidance of Senior Coaches to tackle challenges within the various tracks selected using the Design Thinking methodology and concepts learned.This will happen from July 8-11.
Our Tracks
Our tracks cover over-arching global and local issues and challenges encountered in the majority of the communities where Impact Week operates. These tracks also have the biggest impact and influence in the communities in terms of economic transformation when solved. They include: Agriculture Digitalization Economy,Education, Environment, Government, Health, Security, Sociological needs.
Our Training Model
The training consists of the six-phases of Design Thinking.
1. Understand
2. Observe
3. Synthesize
4. Ideate
5. Prototype
6. Test & Iterate
Through these 6 phases, the participant will gain key skills through Design Thinking, such as innovation, customer focus, and implementation orientation. Along with that, the training includes a lot of time for reflection, group learning, and learning by doing. The Impact Week experience inspires participants to look at entrepreneurship and social innovation in a fun and engaging way while incorporating human-centredness, community engagement and a lot of team work and effort.
Upon completion of the program, the participant becomes a “Junior Design Thinking Coach” and
sets themselves to be a multiplier of the methodology in their professional and private life!
Our Impact
1. We have run 44 Impact Weeks (‘official’ & independently run by our local partners). Among countries that have hosted Impact Weeks before include Colombia, Paraguay, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Mozambique, India (Delhi, Assam, Meghalaya), Nepal, Jordan, Germany, Albania
2. Over 100 Senior Coaches who are experienced Design Thinking experts from more than 15 different countries have helped to train local coaches and students to be design-thinkers.
3. Over 650 Local people trained on-site as Design Thinking Coaches and are fully capable to scale the impact by training local residents to become design-thinkers.
4. Over 4000 Students participated on-site and successfully graduated to become design thinkers.
5. Over 700 new ideas have been generated with potential to solve problems in local communities and create jobs for people.
6. Countless stories and friendships have been cultivated promoting inter-cultural bonding and partnerships that will last a life-time.
Impact Week Meghalaya, India 2024
For the 2nd year in a row and after hosting the biggest Impact Week in 2023, Impact Week in partnership with the PRIME hub and the Martin Luther Christian University will host the 2024 edition starting from the 3rd to the 11th of July, 2024. This event promises to be a fun and engaging affair where both international and local participants, youth, Design Thinking experts and academic institutions and organizations from diverse backgrounds will come together to apply the Design Thinking methodology to create an innovative learning experience for young minds in the region of Meghalaya.
This Impact Week is scheduled in the Central European Time (UTC +5:30)
Date Activity
13 February Registration opens for participation
15 May Registration Closes
11 May Virtual kick-off meeting of all participants
01 July Travel to Shillong
03 – 05 July Train-the-Coach for Junior Coaches
08 – 11 July Impact Week Meghalaya 2024 – 4 days Design Thinking Challenge
11 July Pitch day and closing ceremony of Impact Week Meghalaya 2024
Teams will receive details regarding exact timings of the event after registration confirmation &
selection.
What to expect in Meghalaya?
With our two-module approach, we will train a new cohort of Junior Coaches by guiding them through a 3-day “Train-the-Coach” phase. This first part of the workshop will take place at the Martin Luther Christian University.
The participants will then take their new role as junior Design Thinking Coaches and work together with the students of the Martin Luther Christian University and students of other participating academic institutes to find solutions for local challenges. This defines the “practical phase” and will give the new Coaches the unique opportunity to directly implement what they have just learned, while being guided by experienced Senior Coaches along the journey.
The innovative and customer-focused orientation of the Design Thinking methodology helps all participants to challenge their way of tackling a problem. The unique spirit of the Impact Week experience will definitely inspire the participants to look at entrepreneurship and social innovation in a completely different light.
Tracks
Each participating team will work on one track. The students can choose their track in the application process and get matched accordingly. Then it is up to them to own the challenge and create an innovative idea to tackle it – always keeping the Design Thinking methodology at heart.
Tentative challenges selected are:
1. Youth Unemployment
2. Waste Management
3. Transportation
4. Sustainable Tourism
5. Agriculture
Challenges will be updated once the selection process is completed.
Expected Outcomes
1. Participants will gain knowledge in Design Thinking methodology and acquire practical skills on how to approach social problems faced in their communities.
2. Junior Coaches will gain key entrepreneurial and innovation skills that can help propel their careers to the next level.
3. Participants will build viable interventions to challenges faced in their communities with an opportunity to scale these ideas into business ventures through incubation by Prime Hub.
Join us as a Junior Coach Trainee
Impact has opened up an opportunity for individuals interested in learning Design Thinking in a
real-world setting to join Impact Week India as Junior Coaches.
Organizations and corporate entities can also sponsor their employees to join the program and
gain Design Thinking skills which can boost their productivity and performance at their workplaces.
Upon completion of our program you will be certified as a “Junior Design Thinking Coach” and become a multiplier of the methodology in your professional and private life.
Interested participants can apply to secure one of our limited spots on the international Junior
Coach Team!
Application Link: https://forms.gle/GLt8247HxpFEW62w6
Become a Partner
Our partners come from diverse backgrounds including academia, corporate, non-profit sector
and even governmental institutions.
Impact Week has been able to implement 44 Impact Weeks in over 15 countries thanks to our
main sponsors; Lufthansa, Help Alliance, AS+P and a wide community of International and local
partners in our countries of operations.
Impact Week is actively seeking to grow the community through partnerships that can help us empower local communities and youths in the global south by implementing more Design Thinking challenges as a way to solve problems in their communities and become job creators.We are looking for organizations who want to join our global movement and encourage young minds to develop user-centric innovations to tackle environmental problems. If you would like to join the event as a sponsor, mentoring partner, incubator or jury member – please reach out to Carolin Tanzer (carolin.taenzer@impactweek.net )
To work with us with us and be part of creating impact in India, reach out via:
Our newsletter: https://www.impactweek.net/contact/newsletter/
Email at (info@impactweek.net)
The managing director (carolin.taenzer@impactweek.net)
