Design Studio

The Design Studio for Civics and Ethics Pedagogy was a cross-sector collaborative initiative at the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University to revive and transform ethics and civics education with a goal of democratic renewal. In response to deepening polarization, eroding institutional trust, and the civic challenges of misinformation and disengagement, the Design Studio brought together scholars, educators, and policymakers to generate tools, frameworks, and partnerships that would support lifelong ethical and civic learning. The initiative emphasized cross-disciplinary integration, institutional innovation, and scalable impact across the educational spectrum, from K-12 through higher education and beyond. 

In 2025, the Design Studio for Civics and Ethics Pedagogy’s formal role within the Center concluded, with some aspects of the work continuing in the newly formed Civil Discourse Research & Design Lab, while other core projects and partnerships continue independently or under new institutional umbrellas, extending its legacy of ethics and civics innovation.

 

Members of the Design Studio leadership (left to right): Danielle Alison Simmonslen, Tatiana Geron, Tina Blythe, Meira Levinson, & Al
Members of the Design Studio leadership (left to right): Danielle Allen, Tatiana Geron, Tina Blythe, Meira Levinson, & Alison Simmons

About the Design Studio:

Led initially by Danielle Allen and later by Meira Levinson, with support from a Faculty Advisory Committee, the Design Studio served as an incubator for a wide array of pedagogical initiatives across Harvard’s schools and in national networks. Members of the advisory group included faculty from the Kennedy School, Medical School, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and the Philosophy Department, reflecting the breadth of the effort. The Design Studio’s approach was experimental and collaborative, focused on embedding ethics and civics into educational contexts often overlooked and making these tools accessible across different stages of life and learning environments.

Among the Design Studio's flagship projects were:

  • The Democratic Knowledge Project: A K-16 civic education provider offering curriculum, educator training, and assessment tools.
  • Collegiate Curricular Innovation: Advanced course design and launched the nation’s first Intercollegiate Civil Disagreement Partnership and supported the Harvard  Ethics Society Ethics Bowl team.
  • National Ethics Project founded by the Edmond & Lily Safra Center: A research consortium examining how ethics is taught across higher education and aligning institutional goals with curricular offerings.
  • EdEthics at the Harvard Graduate School of Education: A field-building initiative to create an educational ethics framework akin to bioethics, serving both practice and policy.
  • Embedded EthiCS at Harvard's Philosophy Department: Integrates ethics into computer science education through a unique partnership between philosophy and CS.
  • Scientific Citizenship Initiative (SCi) at Harvard Medical School: Embeds civic engagement into scientific training to support ethical leadership and public responsibility.
  • Educating for American Democracy: A national collaboration to reimagine history and civics education with over 300 diverse contributors.
  • The Good Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education: Explores the meaning of “good work” and ethical decision-making through tools and research-based frameworks aimed at learners and professionals.