Rhode Island School of Design Announces Institute for Design + Public Policy with the Rhode Island Foundation

Immersive studio workshop in Providence, August 4-5 and 10-12; application deadline May 29

For the first-time ever, Rhode Island School of Design’s Institute for Design + Public Policy will offer a session designed specifically for Rhode Island-based leaders and innovators thanks to a new partnership with the Rhode Island Foundation.

Throughout the five-day institute, running August 4-5 and 10-12 in Providence, participants will build their design capacity through experience-based training grounded in a challenge brief. They will immerse themselves in a collaborative, rigorous studio workshop exploring human-centered design as a tool for addressing complex public policy issues, ultimately building a cross-sector community of practice for design and public policy. Led by expert design instructors from RISD and featuring guest lecturers and critics from across sectors, the studio topic will be CIVILian: Reimagining a More Civic Rhode Island. In the face of issues such as climate change, globalization and terrorism, participants will examine what the notion of “civics” means as both an idea and a community and individual practice in today’s world.

Applications will be accepted from Rhode Islanders until Sunday, May 29 at 11:59 PM EST. Apply here.

“RISD is pleased to be partnering with the Rhode Island Foundation on an iteration of the Institute for Design + Public Policy that is custom-tailored to Rhode Islanders. A collaborative process like human-centered design allows for identifying and solving problems by addressing the needs of the people who experience them,” said Greg Victory, executive director of RISD Executive Education. “With the Institute, we aim to offer concrete tools that translate innovation from an abstract concept into a replicable process. Participants will gain an understanding of the real value of applying the design process to the important work they do every day.”

The Rhode Island Foundation is sponsoring the Institute as part of its year-long centennial commemoration. Founded on June 13, 1916, with a $10,000 gift from industrialist Jesse Metcalf, the Foundation’s assets have grown to nearly $800 million.

“We’re excited to build the problem-solving capacity of our communities. By making the resources of a world-class institution like RISD available locally, and by bringing together people in the public, nonprofit and private sectors, we can discover new ways to tackle big challenges,” said Jessica David, senior vice president of strategy and community investments.

About Rhode Island School of Design
Known as the leading college of art and design in the United States, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) is ranked #1 in Business Insider’s survey of The World’s 25 Best Design Schools. Approximately 2,450 students from around the world are enrolled in full-time bachelor’s or master’s degree programs in a choice of 19 majors. Students value RISD’s accomplished faculty of artists and designers, the breadth of its specialized facilities and its hands-on approach to studio-based learning. Required courses in the liberal arts enrich the studio experience, equipping graduates to make meaningful contributions to their communities. Through their creative thinking and problem solving in a broad range of fields, RISD’s 26,000 alumni exemplify the vital role artists and designers play in fueling global innovation. Founded in 1877, RISD (pronounced “RIZ-dee”) and the RISD Museum help make Providence, RI among the most culturally active and creative cities in the region. For more information, visit risd.edu and our.risd.edu.

About the Rhode Island Foundation
The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. In 2015, the Foundation awarded $41.5 million in grants to organizations addressing the state’s most pressing issues and needs of diverse communities. Through leadership, fundraising and grantmaking activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential. For more information, visit rifoundation.org.