In K-12 grades, ID remains an underrepresented discipline. In 2010, IDSA-Atlanta initiated an Outreach program to promote industrial design among high school students and support efforts of the Atlanta School System by introducing younger students to the design practice. The three-week program challenges teams of high school students, led by a professional and coached by academic (college) students, to develop a formal product solution to a specific design problem. The Outreach program has grown to include the participation of two high schools, multiple classes, over 15 design professionals, and over 30 academic students.

This poster session shares a repeatable model, outlined in ten categories, for implementation by other schools and/or other IDSA chapters with the goal of educating future industrial designers. The authors describe the theoretical approach and program structure, and discuss the growth of the program, refinement of the program model and successes and challenges associated with organizing and executing the program.