The Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education at USD Hosts Teen Innovation Camp

The Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education at the University of San Diego is hosting a week-long camp experience for local middle and high school students to engage in social good innovation. The ImPactful Teen Innovation Sandbox, which runs from March 28 to April 1, combines design thinking, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and podcasting to promote civic engagement and create local impact.

Students will work in teams to identify a local issue, interview civic leaders, and then use design thinking to prototype their solution and pitch it to a broader audience. Some of the participating civic leaders include Kirby Brady, Chief Innovation Officer for the City of San Diego, Jose Cruz, chief executive officer for the San Diego Council on Literacy, and Colin Parent, Executive Director of Circulate San Diego and La Mesa City Councilmember.

“The Impact Sandbox is an opportunity for teens in the Linda Vista community to partner and create local impact in their own neighborhoods on some of society's most challenging issues. The participation of civic leaders, the Mayor's Office, and other educational partners reinforces to teenagers that their ideas matter and they have the ability to make the world a better place, starting in their own communities,” said Dr. Lisa Dawley, Executive Director of The Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education “Our goal is for every student to leave the camp identifying as a social innovator who can make positive change in the world, and give them the skills, tools and connections to make that happen. We are indebted to Dr. Irwin and Mrs. Joan Jacobs who provide the support to make this experience possible.”

The Impactful Teen Innovation Sandbox is made possible through a partnership with The Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education, Cloudcast Media, and the San Diego County Office of Education.

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.