Urban Griots designs playful, culturally-rooted learning experiences inspired by African traditions to support early STEAM learning for children and their families.
UrbanGriots began hosting co-design clinic experiences in the Center for Design at Northeastern University in the Fall of 2023. We began this effort first by engaging with students, faculty and staff from various centers and departments. In this external phase, we are inviting community stakeholders into our co-design process for the Urban Griots Playground. This process aims to create opportunities for parents, teachers, and community partners to co-create how our tools and curriculum are introduced in their communities. Come learn about this process and experience co-designing ideas for your homes, communities, and schools.
Get ready for a fun-filled celebration of rhythm, movement, and diasporic connection as Urban Griots and Malian master drummer Sidy Maiga team up for a Cameroon National Day open house event to usher in the summer. 🇨🇲
Schedule
4:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Live spoken word performance in the Courtyard at the United Southend Settlements by members of the Music Is Healing Collective
5 p.m. - 6 p.m.: Family Activities
* Drum Circle facilitated by Sidy Maiga
* Instrument Petting Zoo hosted by Urban Griots.
There will be an Urban Griots Playground info booth, 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m., around the Children Art Center featuring the UGP team showcasing our work and fielding questions about upcoming co-design clinics.
Tuesday October 9th - 5:00-6:00pm (United South End Settlements)
Parents Session - Join us in exploration and tinkering in this co-design experience on rhythm and learning. Connect with other parents, share ideas and reflect on your family’s unique cultural heritage and background.
Tuesday October 16th - 5:30-6:30pm (United South End Settlements)
Teachers Session - Are you a preschool or kindergarten teacher? Stop by the Co-Design Clinic for a Teachers’ Edition of our Urban Griots Playground family workshop. Learn all about our rhythm based curriculum, then make it your own by adapting the activities and tools to your classroom context.
Tuesday October 23rd - 5:30-7:00pm (United South End Settlements)
Open Session - Join us for an interactive evening of African drumming, rhythmic sounds, movement and computer multimedia designed to enhance early literacy and STEAM skills. Every participant will receive free access to the GriotQuest platform.
The UGP Co-Design Clinics are interactive sessions where we collaboratively shape and refine various components of the Urban Griots Playground music-based design intervention for early childhood.
Sessions vary widely, each focused on a different facet of the project. Learn more about our formats below:
Clinics are 45-minute to one-hour long playtesting and ideation co-design sessions intended to foster collaboration, experiential learning and creativity. A typical session includes:
Introductions (10–15 mins)
Playtesting (10–15 mins)
Ideation (10–15 mins)
Focus Group (10–15 mins)
In the current pilot phase, we are evaluating the GriotQuest embodied learning kit as a viable research context for leveraging the affordances of rhythm in the design of culturally grounded ecologies and pedagogies for early childhood education. Depending on the session(s) you attend, you might playtest one of our tools, create a new rhythm quest card activity or adapt our learning kit to your classroom context and needs.
“I think it could help children build confidence and leadership. Because the activities are so physical and engaging, kids are encouraged to experiment and be bold, rather than shy away. It’s a great way to help them grow, especially in a group setting.”
Focus Group Participant
“It would be exciting to use this kit with young children because it shows them that learning isn’t just about sitting in a classroom-it’s hands-on, creative, and full of possibilities. The kit helps instil important values and broadens their idea of what education can be.”
Focus Group Participant
"This kit is great for helping children create meaning and make connections. By associating sounds with letters, kids develop important processing and analyzing skills that will support their learning as they grow.”
Focus Group Participant
“For children to truly build and validate these skills, it’s important to have a supportive community around them.”
Focus Group Participant
“I love how this kit makes learning so tactile and powerful. The focus on feeling and sound-like playing drums-lets every child connect deeply, whether they can read yet or not.”
Focus Group Participant
“The main benefit of this kit is how good it is for word and letter association. It really helps children make those important early connections.”
