Introduction

Welcome to the first issue of the Journal of Young Designers (JoYD), a Create It Lab publication. The design process provides a framework for creativity and curriculum integration, which are critical parts of twenty first century education. Communicating design results is a key skill that is often overlooked in this process. This journal was created to provide motivation for young designers to communicate their designs in a professional manner.

This issue of JoYD is dedicated to the designs of a group of eighth grade students who participated in Create It Lab’s Power In the Wind project. In this project, teams designed wind turbine blades to optimize both efficiency and aesthetic appeal. These students were part of Nancy Kenyon’s science classes from the Phoenix team at Essex Middle School in Essex, Vermont. For those educators that are interested, the rubric for this project appears as Appendix A in this journal.