At NORY STEM Camp, campers don't just build robots or engineer inventions. They learn how to solve problems that matter. Every week, campers use the Design Thinking Process, combining empathy, creativity, and critical thinking to develop solutions for real-world challenges.
 
Whether they're designing a robot to help someone with limited mobility or brainstorming ways to help a shy classmate feel included, every project begins by campers putting themselves into the shoes of others to brainstorm how they can help.

The first step in Design Thinking is understanding a problem from someone else's perspective.
 
Instead of jumping straight to a solution, campers ask questions, consider how another person feels, and identify what they truly need. This empathy-first approach helps children look beyond their own experiences and develop solutions with real purpose.
 
Through this process, campers develop a deep sense of empathy, enabling them to identify problems accurately and approach solutions with a purpose-driven mindset.

Imagine a friend is upset because their favorite toy broke. Most children might immediately say, "Let's fix it." At NORY, we encourage campers to think bigger.
 
Could you comfort them while it's being repaired? Create something new to make them smile? Build a robotic pet to cheer them up? Design an invention that prevents toys from breaking in the first place?
 
The goal isn't finding the answer, it's exploring many possibilities.
 
This kind of brainstorming encourages creativity, flexibility, and confidence in sharing ideas. Campers also present and discuss their concepts with classmates, learning how to communicate their thinking, listen to feedback, and improve their ideas together.

One of the most important lessons campers learn is that the first idea isn't always the best one.
 
For example, a camper designing a robotic cane for someone who is blind might create a working prototype, then discover it's too heavy to use comfortably. Rather than starting over, they refine the design, perhaps adding wheels, redistributing the weight, or even creating a wearable support inspired by Iron Man's arm.
 
Testing, receiving feedback, and making improvements teaches resilience just as much as engineering. Campers begin to see challenges not as failures, but as opportunities to create something even better.
 
This iterative process also sharpens their analytical and critical thinking skills, ensuring their solutions are refined to meet the project's purpose effectively. It ties back to their empathy-driven discovery process, completing a cycle that enhances their problem-solving abilities.

Design Thinking is more than an engineering framework. It's a way of approaching the world.
 
By combining empathy, creativity, and critical analysis, campers learn how to identify meaningful problems, develop thoughtful solutions, and continuously improve their ideas.
 
These are the same skills used by engineers, entrepreneurs, designers, and innovators every day. More importantly, they're skills that help children become compassionate leaders who look for ways to make life better for the people around them.
 
Learn more about all of our NORY programs.