Middle School Students Tackle Authentic Challenges: Week Without Walls with the ROM

This November, our Middle School students traded in their regular classes for a week of collaborative and real-world learning as part of our bi-annual Week Without Walls (WWW) program. This Fall, we were excited to partner with The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Canada’s largest museum of art, world culture, and natural history.

What is Week Without Walls?

Week Without Walls is an authentic learning experience where students work in mixed-grade groups, applying the Design Thinking process to address real issues faced by a partner organization. It encourages collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

Our Challenge: Make ROM More Inclusive

Challenge 1: How can we make museum classes more engaging for all learners?

• The Problem: Not all students experience museum school programs the same way due to physical disabilities, sensory sensitivities, language barriers, or different learning styles.
• The Task: Students were challenged to help revise an existing school program or create a new one to make learning more accessible and fun for everyone.

Challenge 2: Whose Stories Are Missing?

• The Problem: Museums can sometimes underrepresent or misrepresent voices from various communities (Indigenous Peoples, newcomers, diverse racial or cultural backgrounds).
• The Task: Groups investigated specific galleries to identify missing stories and propose respectful, meaningful ways to include them.

Challenge 3: How can we ensure all visitors can access and enjoy the museum spaces?

• The Problem: Certain areas of the museum may be hard to access or navigate for visitors using assistive devices, pushing strollers, or who have sensory sensitivities.
• The Task: Students acted as "Accessibility Detectives," mapping their entire ROM visit to track and identify physical, sensory, and wayfinding challenges. They then collaborated to create solutions that improve navigation and visitor experience for all.

Research and Design

An essential part of the week was our trip to the ROM on Wednesday, November 12th. Students spent the day at the museum conducting research, participating in workshops, and gaining a deeper understanding of their chosen challenge before returning to school to develop their solutions.

Our week ended with final pitch presentations, where teams presented their ideas to panels of HTS staff, parents, and ROM representatives. The ROM was blown away by our students’ empathy and creativity.

Congratulations to our Winners:

Third place: “The Gallery of Us” by Ava B (Grade 6), Ilija J (Grade 6), Elina Z (Grade 6), Nyah B (Grade 7), Hank Y (Grade 7), Vienna F (Grade 8), Kaya C (Grade 8). The group proposed "The Gallery of Us" to solve the problem of diverse community stories not being heard. The solution involves installing six screens to feature personal narratives from various communities, like LGBTQ+ and Hispanic groups, with photos and accessible audio narration. 

Second place: “Virtual Reality: The Way of the Future” by Carter S (Grade 6), Matthew R (Grade 6), Khaleel S (Grade 7), Jaydon H (Grade 8), Stephen W (Grade 8), Dustin Z (Grade 8). Their solution is a VR headset and Google Cardboard-compatible phone application that allows users to virtually visit and explore the ROM from any location. The app enhances virtual lessons by offering immersive, first-hand experiences designed to increase user engagement. 

First place: “WayLines” by Ammar A (Grade 6), Derek Z (Grade 6), Klayton L (Grade 7), Marcus Y (Grade 7), Claire Z (Grade 8), Olivia H (Grade 8). This group proposes fixing the Royal Ontario Museum's (ROM) confusing wayfinding by adding coloured, tactile "WayLines" on the floor. These lines would guide visitors along themed exhibit routes and to essential areas like washrooms. 

Contributed by: Ms Marisa Tassone