RECAP

Thank you.
You moved forward. To the top.
Summit happened because of you.

Summit has concluded on May 20, 2023. We welcomed 14 teams to Westwood, CA, to take on challenges impacting marginalized student groups in Los Angeles, CA, and after 7 hours of designing, our participants came up with fascinating new ideas, proving that our outlook on design thinking is bright and forward-thinking.

We couldn't have done it without you.

See the 14 Teams that participated in Summit

Our participants were challenged

We presented three challenges to our participants, who had 7 hours and 30 minutes to research, empathize, and prototype in creating a solution. Here were the challenges our participants were able to choose from:

1. Addressing Housing Insecurity + -

One of the problems in Los Angeles is homelessness, and university students are not an exception to being a target. We see lack of affordable housing, increasing tuition fees, and financial challenges from families being a few of the reasons behind this problem. Create a prototype that will address the problem of homelessness impacting university students in Los Angeles. Be prepared to present an innovative, unique, and accessible solution that can provide support, resources, and assistance to these students, allowing them to have a stable and secure living situation while pursuing their education. Your prototype should not only be scalable and sustainable, but also inclusive and accessible to a large number of university students in Los Angeles. Consider the diversity of backgrounds, circumstances, and resources of these students as you prepare your final submission.

2. A Safer LA + -

Schools in Los Angeles are home to a diverse student population. With many opportunities to venture out within the college culture, safety must be kept in mind, especially for students who identify to be part of marginalized groups, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, people with disabilities, etc. Create a prototype that creates a solution promoting safety and inclusivity for all students within the Los Angeles communities, focusing on maximizing safety and minimizing violence and crime towards marginalized groups, promoting positive mental health awareness and wellness for people in these communities. Your prototype should not only be scalable and sustainable, but also inclusive and accessible to a large number of university students in Los Angeles. Consider the diversity of backgrounds, circumstances, and resources of these students as you prepare your final submission.

3. Equitable Academic Environments (in partnership with UCLA Residential Life Learning Centers) + -

Our student populations include those with disabilities, low-income families, first-generation students, single parents, etc. Many student identities have different access to educational resources, many of which are filled with barriers. The Learning Centers at UCLA are an incredible student resource that provides academic and creative support to students on the Hill, which aims to solve this issue. They offer a wide range of resources, including events, workshops, and contact information for various groups and organizations that can further aid students. Create a prototype that connects students to the various opportunities and resources provided by the Learning Centers, those of which being on and off campus students. Your prototype should not only be scalable and sustainable, but also inclusive and accessible to a large number of UCLA Students. Consider the numerous locations of the Learning Centers (De Neve, Sunset Village, Olympic, and Rieber coming soon), the various resources involved (gaming, video, photo, music, 3-D, art, design, and so much moe), and the diversity of background and circumstances of these students as you prepare your final submission.

Here were our top placing teams and their projects

Grand Prize Winners: The GoGo Getters

RUNNER UP Winners: Triscella

Yet all of our teams reached the top

We saw incredible work at Summit that captured driven, driven, and exceptional designers working with a thoughtful and purposeful commitment to design thinking and its integration with diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Thank you.

To our participants, mentors, and judges: thank you. You made Summit a successful and memorable event.

All full-resolution images taken during Summit are available to Summit attendees via the link sent over Slack.