One- and Two-week Intensives

HIP implementations

Generally, Intensives are run within the school day with timetables arranged to allow for a full day immersive experience (morning and afternoon sessions, approximately 5-6 hours per day across two 5-day weeks) or as an immersive camp experience (one or two weeks, full days inclusive of evening activities and weekend(s)).

Intensives have been selected and cited as beneficial by participants for some of the following reasons:

• Allows for full focus on the mindsets, skillsets, and dispositions associated with YEE philosophies without distractions from other subject areas, homework, testing, etc.
• Can be scheduled during holidays and breaks for out-of-school times or during mini-mesters, transition weeks, etc. for in-school times without needing a specific course slot within the school day.
• Participants can very quickly see their ideas realized in a rapid implementation process and gain confidence from seeing what they can authentically accomplish.

Example outcomes of past intensives include the following:

• A board game designed and prototyped to promote cross-cultural awareness
• A journaling app (wireframed) designed to discreetly provide support, resources, and if needed, emergency contacts for those suffering from and impacted by domestic violence and abuse.
• A “BU” (Be You) camp, designed and planned with resources, speakers, and everything else needed for implementation to encourage inclusivity, acceptance, awareness of diverse perspectives, and more (camp not implemented within intensive but was implemented later through direction of group and with support from local school).

Some caveats to be aware of when selecting intensives are the need to have dedicated time, accessible facilitators, and an awareness of what can and cannot be done within the two-week time frame. For example, the level of design and prototype may not be as refined or ready for full launch within a short time frame as it would be over months; however, iterations and design sprints are still expected and outcomes can still be authentic. It is recommended that participants in intensives have “touch points” periodically beyond the implementation to encourage continued pursuit of their own ideas, iterations of their products, access to resources, etc.