Sustainability Mindset with Design Thinking

Bringing problem-solving into the everyday

Join us for our nature loving "Sustainability Mindset with Design Thinking" (SMDT) camps, events and programs. SMDT is for kids aged 5-12 during school holidays, and in partnership with schools (Rietberg Montessori and Serendipity Montessori).

Children explore their local city, learn empathy, collaboration and resilience and generally have a blast! We adventure through field trips, games and projects around Zurich.

SMDT is the fruit of a beautiful partnership with STEAMED Playground.

see Upcoming Events

What is SMDT?
Hear Diya and Austina, the Co-Founders of SMDT explain it.

Camp details

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Timings: 8:45 to 17:00
Venue: City of Zurich with a number of locations!
Pick up/drop off locations*:
> Cafe Rumi, Weinbergstrasse 1, Kilchberg 8802
> NEW! Zurich HB drop off 8:20 am, Pick up 5:10 pm
Pricing: CHF 650/week or CHF 150/day. Siblings discount available.
Food: Twice a day snacks included!
Language: English, however our facilitators can help children with German, Portuguese, Hindi and Korean.
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*subject to change but will remain close by.

Don't live in Switzerland?
You kids can still attend our day camp! We support families who want to have a "Workation" or a good old fashioned vacation in Switzerland! We partner with one of the premier travel agencies in Switzerland to help you plan a trip tailored exactly to your family's needs.

Write to us at smdt@makethechange.education for more information.

Outcomes

Want our Children...
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To develop:
Respect, Resilience, Empathy, Humbleness, Integrity, Curiosity, Open-Mindedness, Equality, and Responsibility

‍By being:
‍Honest, Peaceful, Part of a Community, Trusting, Positive, Tolerant, Caring and Kind

Fun fact - Our spring camp had over 70% returning participants!

Upcoming Events

Spring Camp

Living in Harmony

April 20–24, 2026 (Week 1 ZH Holidays)

Children explore what it means to live in harmony through Excursions and games

Includes visits to museums, gardens, and markets, ending with a Design Thinking hackathon where campers create their own solutions for how people and nature can live in harmony.

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Summer Camp - 1

Art for Earth

July 13- 17 and july 20-24, 2026

Explore how art can protect the Earth and connect communities.

Campers make natural paints, enjoy outdoor adventures, and visit inspiring art and nature locations.

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Summer Camp - 2

Biomimicry! Problem-solving inspired by nature

August 2026 (dates TBC)

Discover how nature inspires innovation.

Through engineering projects and outdoor exploration, campers learn to solve real-world problems using ideas from the natural world.

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autumn camp

Food! Eating healthy for people and the planet

October 5 - 9 2026

What does healthy food mean for us and for the planet?

In this deliciously fun camp, kids will explore where food comes from and how our choices impact health and sustainability.

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Parent Feedback

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Parents of 7 year old boy and 5 year old girl..

“Heard all about earth care, self-care, and fair share today! They have learned so much in a couple of days. Thank you so much. So valuable what you have created.”‍

Mother of 9 year old boy...

“He is very inspired, it was an amazing experience. Thank you all for the wonderful atmosphere and for new friends and family whom we want to see again and again!!!”

Parents of 7 year old boy and 5 year old girl..

“The program was so varied and inspiring, the boys loved it. How wonderful they came away with so many new learnings and friends.”

About Design Thinking

Design thinking refers to the set of cognitive, strategic and practical procedures used by designers in the design process - basically to solve problems! It encourages us to look closely at how people reason when engaging with these problems.

It exposes us to different perspectives, building empathy and encourages creativity in innovation. These are some of the reasons why we love it for building a sustainable mindset.

Design thinking is iterative (it can keep going!) and non-linear , which also helps children build resiliency in solving problems.

Why Design Thinking? & Why Early Age?

It is the perfect age and way to...
- Build resilience
- Expose them to different perspectives and values to be creative and empathetic
- Maximize their potential to train the brain for EfS and Design
- Maximize creativity
- Learn through exploration

What happens when students embrace Design Thinking?

Source: John Spencer

- They move from engaged to empowered
- They become problem-solvers
- They grow more empathetic
- They remain curious
- They learn how to work collaboratively
- They view themselves as makers
- They value the diversity of creative mindsets
- They learn the power of creative constraint
- They see the value of iterations
- They become creative risk-takers

Ready for outdoor learning + big ideas?

Our SMDT camps in Zurich help children build empathy, confidence, and problem-solving skills through nature adventures, games, and creative design thinking projects.

Register now