Open – Design Week Frankfurt RheinMain

Design in Schools!

This page brings together projects, ideas, and tools at the intersection of design, creativity, and democracy within schools. The focus is on secondary school students and the question of how schools can become spaces where participation, creativity, and social responsibility are actively practiced. Get inspired and explore how the region is shaping innovative learning experiences.

As part of WDC 2026 the educational program demonstrates learning beyond the classroom. Designers, social workers, content creators, and other professionals collaborate with young people and schools to create contemporary, hands-on learning experiences.

Buchbare Schulworkshops

WDC Pavillon Schulworkshop

©Stiftung Deutsches Design Museum

WDC-Pavillon in Bad Homburg

Design for Democracy: Plakatworkshops für Schulen

School workshops with schools from the Bad Homburg district, conceived by the German Design Museum Foundation and led by Silke Meister.

Kurhausgarten Bad Homburg

WDC Pavillon Design macht Schule

©Laura Hilbert

09:00 – 13:30

WDC Pavilion in Kelkheim

Who owns the street? Design workshops for schools

Sophie Netzer und Kerstin Reyer

School workshops with schools from the Kelkheim district, conceived and implemented by artists Sophie Netzer and Kerstin Reyer.

Rathaus Kelkheim

WDC Pavillon Offenbach

©Laura Hilbert und Ben Kuhlmann

09:00 – 11:00

WDC Pavilion in Offenbach

Urbane Raumforschung Frankfurt #1

studio gross klein

School workshops for the Offenbach district. Designed and implemented by Falko Smith of studio gross klein.

Pavillon Offenbach

WDC Pavillon Offenbach

©Laura Hilbert und Ben Kuhlmann

11:30 – 13:30

WDC Pavilion in Offenbach

Urbane Raumforschung Frankfurt #2

studio gross klein

School workshops for the Offenbach district. Designed and implemented by Falko Smith of studio gross klein.

Pavillon Offenbach

WDC Pavillon Offenbach

©Laura Hilbert

09:00 – 14:00

WDC Pavilion in Offenbach

SEIT 19/02/20 HANAU Mach deine Stimme sichtbar: Protest im Plakat

SEIT 19/02/20 HANAU (Biarna Diegmüller)

School workshops for the Offenbach district. Designed and implemented by SEIT 19/02/20 HANAU.

Pavillon Offenbach

WDC Pavillon Offenbach

©Laura Hilbert und Ben Kuhlmann

09:00 – 11:00

WDC Pavilion in Offenbach

Urbane Raumforschung Frankfurt #3

studio gross klein

School workshops for the Offenbach district. Designed and implemented by Falko Smith of studio gross klein.

Pavillon Offenbach

Into the School: Opening Schools to Design

Grafik mit gezeichneten Elementen

©Falko Schnelle

Urbane Raumforschung Frankfurt

studio gross klein & Schülern:innen der Georg-August-Zinn-Schule

Young people shaping their neighborhood! Together with experts and the local community they explore and transform public spaces. The city becomes their own project.

Georg-August-Zinn-Schule

Kinder arbeiten mit Gartenhandwerkzeugen auf einer Wiese.

Bildung, die nachhallt

FREUDENBERG Gesellschaft Natur & Kunst gemeinnütziger e.V.

Workshops for 10 school classes convey the interconnections between nature and society.

Schloss Freudenberg

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Wir gestalten unseren Lebensraum Schule mit

Gymnasium Eltville

Ideas for a more attractive learning and living environment are being developed and realized in collaboration with professionals from architecture, art, and design.

Gymnasium Eltville

Ein mit Postern und Zeichnungen verzierter Bus: Der DemokratieWagen steht am Straßenrand.

©mehr als wählen e.V.

DemokratieWagen in Schulen

mehr als wählen e.V.

An educational role-play game in a converted 20-metre articulated bus.

Ein Junge begutachtet ein bedrucktes T-Shirt

©Der Fotograf Mannheim

Zeichen setzen – Ethik trifft Design

Stiftung Deutsches Design Museum

The workshop “Zeichen setzen” combines an exploration of personal values with creative forms of expression.

Illustration eines Hundes der in ein Megafon spricht

Das DemokraTier

Prof. Regina Henze

A student competition invites 8–10-year-old pupils to explore the values of democracy in their classrooms through playful activities.

Wir sind alle

©Wir sind alle

filme+mehr GmbH with August-Gräser-Schule, Schwanheim

Fourth-grade students talk about democratic processes and conflicts in their social environment, create a plot from this, write a screenplay, and turn it into a short film.

August-Gräser-Schule

Frau sitzt vor einem Gemälde und malt

Hessisches Ministerium für Kultus, Bildung und Chancen

The HMKB focuses on cultural education in schools. Strong cultural education fosters creativity, perspective-taking, respect for diversity, and the experience of self-efficacy.

Hessisches Ministerium für Kultus, Bildung und Chancen

Von hinten sind ein Mädchen und ein Mann mit Mikrofon zu sehen, wie sie vor Kindern im Publikum draußen reden.

©Umweltlernen in Frankfurt e.V.

Mobilität und öffentlicher Raum

Umweltlernen in Frankfurt e.V.

Children and young people engage with mobility and help design their city.

Menschen hängen Demokratiedeckel auf

Fragen für gelebte Demokratie

Demokratiedeckel e.V.

The three-day workshop "Questions for Lived Democracy" by Demokratiedeckel e.V. invites students to discover democracy in urban space and actively participate in shaping it.

Evangelische Akademie Frankfurt

Jugend debattiert

©Hessischer Landtag

12:00 – 15:00

Jugend debattiert: Landesfinales 2026

Jugend debattiert, Gemeinnützige Hertie-Stiftung

As part of the WDC 2026, a special edition of the state finals of Jugend debattiert is taking place.

Hessischer Landtag

Out of the School: Learning Through Everyday Experience

Passanten gegutachten Schaukästen an der Frankfurter Hauptwache

Kunststation Hauptwache

Domäne S – für Schülerinnen und Schüler e. V.

This project transforms unused display cases and empty shop windows on level D at tube station Hauptwache into creative platforms for students in Frankfurt, allowing them to showcase their ideas and experience democratic participation in public spaces.

Eine Frau spielt ein Theaterstück auf einer Bühne

©Frédéric Iovino

Starke Stücke: Räume für zukünftige Gedanken

KulturRegion FrankfurtRheinMain gGmbH

Theatre guest performances for schools and libraries in the RheinMain region.

Viele Kinder Rennen über einen Hof

©Förderverein Karl-Gärtner-Schule

Auf die PLÄTZE los

Amt für Soziale Arbeit Wiesbaden

Children from primary schools in Wiesbaden develop their own projects for a child-friendly city.

Ein großer, moderner Raum mit Tischen und Büromöbeln.

©Tumo Frankfurt

Verein zur Förderung von TUMO in Frankfurt e. V. & Volkshochschule Frankfurt am Main

An innovative and free learning center for young people outside of school.

Eine ballonartige Skulptur aus recyceltem Plastik

©Umwelt-Exploratorium e.V.

Umwelt-Exploratorium e.V.

A participatory exhibition with workshops in schools on the topic of plastics.

Alter Flugplatz Frankfurt

Junge Menschen bauen an einer Holzkonstruktion

©Nikolaus A. Nessler

Nikolaus A. Nessler

A box that gives young people the opportunity to engage in social, cultural, and sports activities in public spaces, while also offering a place to meet without any pressure to consume.

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Geschichten erzählen in Stop-Motion

Karoline Schüßler

In a workshop, ideas, figures, and sets are developed and animated – with a particular focus on upcycling and a sustainable approach to the environment.

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Aquanauten Werkstatt

Umwelt-Exploratorium e.V.

Through a playful and interactive approach, young Frankfurters learn about climate and climate justice through the topic of water.

Alter Flugplatz Frankfurt

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Jugend im Stadtraum

Deutsches Architekturmuseum

For youth involvement in Frankfurt.

Frankfurt am Main

Illustration des Wiesenhüttenplatzes im Frankfurter Bahnhofsviertel

©Anna Dischkow-Braml

Meine Wiese, meine Hütte, mein Platz

Anna Dischkow-Braml

Workshop for children to design the Wiesenhüttenplatz and a small neighborhood festival.

Internationales Kinderhaus

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17:00 – 20:00

#MyDesign4Democracy

Foto-Club Darmstadt e.V.

A youth photography competition for 9- to 21-year-olds from Darmstadt and the surrounding region. Participants creatively engage with the concept of democracy.

Justus-Liebig-Haus

Lifelong School: Learning as a Multigenerational Experience

Hände aus dem Publikum zeigen während einer Veranstaltung auf

Huch, ein Buch!

Kulturfreunde Centralstation e.V.

15. Jugend- und Kinderliteraturfestival Darmstadt: Gemeinsame Sache

Centralstation Darmstadt

Illustration des Uzumumba Kiosk in Offenbach

©Lust auf besser Leben

DemokratieKioske

Lust auf besser leben gGmbH

The Demokratiekioske project aims to use temporary kiosks and public spaces as discussion hubs, where communities can engage with democratic themes in informal, accessible ways.

Rhein-Main-Gebiet

Stadtführungen in einfacher Sprache

©Lebenshilfe Frankfurt e.V.

„Des is doch Design!“

Lebenshilfe Frankfurt am Main e.V.

Guided tours in plain language led by inclusive tandems.

Klassenräume Von Morgen

©AMD Wiesbaden

Klassenräume von morgen

Helene-Lange-Schule Wiesbaden / Fachteam für Schulentwicklung: FLUG.VERSUCH AMD Akademie Mode & Design Wiesbaden / Studiengang Interior Design

In a participatory design process, pupils from HeLa Wiesbaden are teaming up with the Interior Design program at AMD to create visionary concepts for classroom spaces.

Offenbar Kreativkiosk bietet unter anderem Druckworkshops an

©Christina Dirlich

Offenbar Kreativ-Kiosk

Print workshops exploring questions of social coexistence and sustainable community.

In einem Ausstellungsraum sind verschiedene illustrierte Figuren zu sehen.

Bilderbuch und frühe demokratische Bildung

Struwwelpeter Museum

The exhibition presents current exemplary picture books on the topic of democracy, including high-quality picture book design “made in Frankfurt.”

Struwwelpeter Museum

Der WDC-Pavillon aus Holz und einem weißen Dach steht auf einer grünen Wiese.

WDC Pavilion tour

The Pavilion will travel through the region, stopping at key locations.

Auf einer Straße steht ein großes Gemälde, vor dem ein Fahrradfahrer vorbeifährt.

©mh-eventproduction

Reclaim inner city

mh-eventproduction , Open Walls

An urban art and education project promoting legal graffiti in Frankfurt’s public spaces.

Climate Community Streetplay

©Climate Community Streetplay

Climate Community Streetplay – Playing with the Trouble

Climate community street play in urban areas affected by climate change.

Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences

WDC-Campus

Students, educators, and graduates from various disciplines present their projects, concepts, and visions.

Teaching resources and more

Eine Handreichtung zeigt verschiedene Visualisierungen

Designwissen – Unterrichtsmaterialien zum Thema Design

Stiftung Deutsches Design Museum

The knowledge platform designwissen.net offers not only thematic foundations on design but also free teaching materials.

Illustration, die mehrere Figuren zeigt, die sich freuen.

Here are our checklists on inclusive and environmental friendly events. They can also help you reflect on school projects or your own teaching.

Eine Person hat den Design for Democracy Reader in der Hand und liest.

Here you’ll find recommended readings on topics related to World Design Capital 2026. In the last section, you’ll find: Teaching, Learning, and Books for Young People.

This collection will continue to grow for you.

Design in Schools shows what’s happening in our region at the intersection of schools and design. We bring together projects, inspiration, and best-practice examples—for teachers, students, and anyone interested in actively shaping school life.

Currently, this includes:

A clear project database on schools & design
Inspiration and networking for new ideas
Teaching resources & tips, which we will continue to add over time

We welcome your feedback!
Share your ideas or questions about this page with us. We listen, advise, and support wherever we can.
After consultation, we’re also happy to connect you with projects that might be particularly interesting for you.

Contact us: dilan.alt@wdc2026.org

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