Henry Ford Learning Institute (HFLI) is a non-profit organization that is redesigning how we learn. The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company Fund founded HFLI in 2003 to model new ways of teaching and learning.
In addition to its small schools, HFLI provides programs that empower learners in K-20 education, youth initiatives and workplaces worldwide to think creatively, work collaboratively with others, and implement innovations. In addition to open enrollment workshops for educators (www.hfli.org/workshops), HFLI provides onsite Design Thinking programs, including:
- 1, 2 and 3-day workshops introduce and develop Design Thinking skills and strategies through real-world challenges – participants leave with tools and an action plan to begin using their emerging competencies immediately.
- Targeted 2 or 4-hour challenge sessions address an identified opportunity through a sequence of engaging activities – participants leave with a defined set of next steps and planned timeline for accomplishing the desired change and identified goals.
- Customized coaching engages learners in Design Thinking experiences that are tailored to the communities they serve. Ranging from corporate workshops to on-the-ground ideation sessions for non-profits, HFLI creates experiences that equip participants to leverage Design Thinking tools, mindsets, and strategies long after the workshop is complete.
HFLI is also the curriculum provider and a thought partner in the development of Ford STEAM Lab (www.fordSTEAMlab.org), a digital blended learning curriculum that exposes middle and high school students to Design Thinking, coding and tech entrepreneurship principles through an easy-to-use educational platform. HFLI provides related training and implementation support to interested organizations, schools and districts.