Why did Shaler Area decide to use human-centered design in the district?
Human-centered design is a proven strategy to solve problems in an organization and foster trust, transparency, collaboration, and innovation in the process. Human-centered design is a collaborative process that encourages creativity and provides a process for thinking through and designing solutions for problems and challenges. The district chose to use the human-centered design process to bring the entire school community together to establish a strategic vision for the school district and help identify a focused purpose through its mission, vision, and core values.

Who participates in the human-centered design activities?
Participants include administrators, district staff (including custodial/maintenance, clerical, and paraprofessional staff), school board members, teachers, parents, students, and community members.

How is human-centered design used in the district?
Human-centered design is used in a variety of settings in the district for the purpose of solving problems. For expample, teachers are using human-centered design strategies in the classroom to give all students a voice in finding creative solutions to problems; the district Naming Committee used similar strategies to recommend the name for Scott Primary School; task force groups are using human-centered design strategies to establish goals and action plans for the district.

What has human-centered design done for the district?
See the accomplishments page.

How can I become involved in the human-centered design activities?
If you are interested in being involved in the human-centered design activities, please contact Superintendent Sean Aiken at [email protected].