MCSS will work with 16 schools to beta test an agile response to augmenting and transitioning the Irish senior cycle with 21st Century future-ready skills based towards a curriculum for all. Recent employment and skills research identifies future growth areas requiring ICT and strategic, product and digital design skills as necessary (NSS 2025, EGFSN, 2020; DES, 2015 ).
Our nine available programmes are:
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The Future of Enterprise and Innovation: These units look at the changing face of work and how we can develop careers based on values, interests and passions.
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The Future of Food – Biosphere as Home: These units look at past and present trends in food production, distribution and waste in order to ideate potential solutions at a local level.
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The Future of the Ocean: Understanding the importance of the ocean and best practice for ocean health including full design-led project resources.
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The Future of Fashion: These units look at sustainable fashion, slow fashion design, low tech and digital design, and case studies culminating in a learner-led project.
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Seeding Sustainability: A food sovereignty programme that supports understanding local food systems, growing, foraging, environmental factors and issues, project management and execution.
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Climate Change Engage: Introduces learners to serious game design within the context of climate adaptation using creative problem-solving and cognitive, strategic and practical processes.
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Marine Plastic Waste: Systems thinking approach to develop a minimum viable product, service or process to address marine plastic waste.
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Problem to Pitch -standalone circular design thinking programme
Coming Soon:
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The Future of Space
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Dream Designs: Project-based learning in sustainable community development and project management and execution through repurposing derelict buildings
We also have a series of individual lesson plans and other focused resources https://www.futurefocus21c.com/resources
Climate Change Engage - 5 Day Sprint
Over 5 days students were taken through the Design Thinking process through practical activities focused on a real world problem in this instance. Problem to Pitch has been structured to lead students through the process of identifying the problem, working through the problem and developing ideas presented in a Dragon’s Den Style pitch. This introduces students to state-of-the-art skills that are increasingly necessary for the 21st Century whether in education, training or employment.
The P2P design sprint was adapted to create a 5-day design sprint (36hrs of learning by doing) using game design to raise awareness of Climate Change and adaptation in 15 - 17 year olds. Working with colleagues from UCD's Environmental Planning and Policy department, School of Architecture and Engineering, students learnt about CLimate change, the built environment, nature-based solutions and integrated their knowledge into their game design. On the final day, students pitched their prototypes.
