This year, we had the privilege of interviewing some of our most dedicated volunteers and teachers in the Design Education program. Through these conversations, we gained meaningful insights into their motivations, what fuels their commitment to volunteerism, and why they believe bringing design education into Philadelphia classrooms is so important. Here are some of our favorite moments from the past year that reaffirm our dedication to this program. A heartfelt thank you to ALL our volunteers and teachers for making this year our best yet! We’re excited to see what 2025 holds for our Design Education program. 

Majaya Rae Powell, Temple University Student + Design Education Volunteer 
Q: How do you believe volunteering in this program will give you an edge when post-graduation?  
A: "Through DE, I was able to make great connections as well as try something completely new. This program can speak volumes, to my interests, but on my patience and workability. When it comes to working with students, you can plan all you want, but you can never guarantee it will go that way. You need to be able to go with the flow in times of change." 
 

Mike Jackson, South Philadelphia High School +  Design Education Teacher 
Q: "In a climate where we see CTE programs aren't as common across schools, why do you feel now more than ever they are crucial to every student’s educational success?" 
A: "The value of CTE is that it puts the tools for high-paying, fulfilling careers in the hands of young people. It takes them from “I wonder” to “I can” to “I did.” I tell students that they did not sign a contract to enter graphic design when they graduate, but that their resume will be tight, that they will have a portfolio that shows their thinking and problem-solving, and that they will know how to manage an interview and a client relationship. Those are valuable skills for success in any walk of life, and they get to be creative while developing them. 

Plus let’s not kid ourselves, this stuff is expensive. We work with the same gear that our designers see professionals using on our field trips—iMacs, the Adobe Creative Suite, Canon DSLR cameras, iPads. Cost-prohibitive barriers to entry abound. But here, students get access to get started. And because we CTE teachers work with our students for three years, we really get to know each other. Every graduated designer knows I’m here after school hours and that they are welcome back after graduation to continue working on their portfolios." 

 
Amanda Friend, Interior Designer + Earth Day Workshop Volunteer 
Q: For those who may not know, the workshop's focus on reusing donated materials to create design. Why was it important to you to combine sustainability with design education for this workshop? 
A: “I believe that we need to make it a top priority to change our way of thinking when it comes to things we no longer want or have a use for. We have been trained to throw away items that fall into these categories, but we have a responsibility to educate individuals and teach them how to change that way of thinking. What if instead of throwing them away, we challenged ourselves to create. Not only could we end up with amazing things, but we would also be less wasteful and harmful to the environment. It is an easy win-win situation!” 
 

Team Strada: T.J. Burghart, Megan McGee, and Sara Sterchak,  Architects + Design Education Volunteers 
Q: “How do you feel learning to teach younger students about your craft has improved your presentation/management skills?” 
Megan: “A lot of what we do in design is about communication.  Knowing how to present material to your client and then to read the room and respond accordingly is critical.  Having a younger audience certainly keeps you on your toes and opens your eyes to seeing things new again.  This kind of re-set to the design brain is refreshing.” 
Sara: “Teaching younger students that most likely have not yet been exposed to the profession is a great opportunity to practice speaking clearly and concisely about topics and tasks. It was good practice to learn how to break up the content we were teaching to keep focus from the students and keep them engaged/excited.” 
T.J.: “Teaching with younger students helped distill what are open big, challenging ideas in more simple questions. I feel it helped me communicate with a clearer picture. 
 

Sharika Razdan, Unionville High School Student + Design Education Intern 
Q: How has the internship contributed to your professional growth? Has it taught you anything new about yourself? 
A: "I think it has contributed to my professional growth by teaching me how to communicate and organize myself in a job environment. From managing my commute times and getting my work done, it took time management to complete my tasks. I also learned to communicate through new platforms in a professional setting." 

Interested in volunteering with DesignPhiladelphia's Design Education program?  Please reach out to Michael Spain (michael@designphiladelphila.org), Liza Niles (liza@designphiladelphila.org), or Carly Clifford (carly@designphiladelphila.org) for more information.