How can we equip the next generation of designers with the tools they need to succeed in the face of significant?

Adrienne Gagnon co-founded DownCity Design in 2009 to help people design and build solutions for their communities. Hundreds of youth have since participated in DCD programs, using the tools of design to create small-scale civic interventions that pack a big punch. Adrienne was recently awarded the 2013 Rhode Island Innovation Fellowship for her plan to dramatically expand access to design education for RI students and teachers. In addition to her work with DownCity Design, Adrienne currently serves as an adjunct faculty member in RISD’s Department of Architecture, where she teaches a course on socially engaged design. Prior to taking on the role of Executive Director for DownCity Design, Adrienne served as the Education Director for Providence CityArts for Youth. She has also worked as a curator of contemporary art for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the UC Berkeley Art Museum, and was the director of a gallery exhibiting the work of local emerging artists in San Francisco. She graduated magna cum laude from Yale University and received her MA in Art and Design Education from Rhode Island School of Design.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx