Timeline

Design for Change was conceptualised by Kiran Bir Sethi, founder of the Riverside School in Ahmedabad, India. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's vision of 'Be the Change you wish to see' - Kiran worked with some of the best minds to design the FIDS framework so that every child could have a simple 'superhero formula' to change their world.

From its inception in 2009, Design for Change had only one mission - to spread this belief to all children. What started in India, is today the biggest global movement of change by children.

  1. 2023

    DFC has extended its reach to 70+ countries, welcoming 10 new nations into our global family: Uganda, Liberia, Haiti, Cyprus, Turkey, Sweden, Australia, Thailand and the UK. New partners with a change of guards for Japan, France and Ireland.

    ICCGS & I CAN Children's Global Summit 2023 in Ahmedabad

    Our Student Council has become even more diverse, with representatives from 16 countries.

    Fourteen participants from countries like Serbia, Brazil, Italy, Singapore, Zambia, the USA, Japan, and Bangladesh to Jaipur, Agra, and Delhi through the program Journey of Change.

    Encompassing a transformative three-day journey, the I CAN EduTour at RLC brought together 16 enthusiastic participants hailing from diverse cultural backgrounds:Brazil, Ecuador, India ,Japan, Taiwan

    Kiran Bir Sethi, the founder of DFC, launched her book 'Every Child Can,' sharing the story of Riverside School, a winner under innovation in the World's Best School Prize 2023

    Riverside School, Ahmedabad, wins World's Best School Prizes for Innovation 2023 with the 'I CAN' model.

    DFC inducted into the Hall of Fame by Hundred.org for its impact and scalability.

    Kiran awarded the Inspirational Guru Award 2023.

  2. 2022

    DFC gets a new executive board. And begins the year with 50+ countries on board.

    We have a new batch of student council for the year 2022-2023.

    Opened up Advisory Position to DFC Global for the Partners for the year March 2022 - March 2023

    Kiran travelled to Malaysia and France and met our DFC partners from Malaysia, Spain, France, Madagascar, and Belgium.

    Design for Change receives a new recognition from HundrED as it enters the Hall of Fame for education innovations that have demonstrated sustained growth of impact and scalability

    Be the Change celebrations- with more than 1000+ participants meeting together for 2 days in Malaysia and Uruguay.

    Japan, Pakistan, Bhutan, Qatar, Argentina, Northern Ireland, Egypt, Italy,Cambodia, Germany, Kazakstan Guatemala, Romania, Liberia and Panama join the DFC family, making the total to 65 countries.

  3. 2021

    First-ever Virtual Global Partners’ Meet over 6 coffee chats and 32 countries participated in it to decide the goals for 2022.

    The most inclusive Be The Change Conference was organized by the DFC Brazil team where 105+ children participated from 29 countries. English, Spanish, Portuguese and Sign language were used to reach out to more children.

    DFC Malaysia got a TV show with 26 episodes to share the Stories of Change on their National Television - Didik TV

    DFC Student Council launched the PlantOx Project where they planted 2723 trees across 9 countries

    Master Classes with Wendy Kopp - CEO Teach For All and Howard Gardner

    DFC was chosen to be part of the Hall of Fame by HundrED

    Gems School organized an International I CAN Summit in Dubai where children participated from 6 countries across the globe

    Relaunch and culmination of Rainforest Kids Challenge. Received 60+ solutions from across 10 countries

    DFC gets a new Board

  4. 2020

    DFC Student Council launched the first-ever Online D'Festival of Change

    DFC Countries design new COVID Response Initiatives

    Articles written by Student Council Members were published in the 'Global Educational Pact for Pope'

    Power of Partners

    DTG goes digital on SM Platform

    Master Class with Dr Howard Gardner and Andreas Schleicher moderated by Kiran

    Selected as Most Impactful and Inspiring Innovators in K12 Education from around the world for HundrED 2021 Global collection

    First-ever virtual Be the Change celebration 2020 organized by DFC Singapore, where 300 children attended it with 50 stories of change from 25 countries were celebrated

    Kiran featured in a Book titled "Vital Voices: 100 Women Using their #PowertoEmpower"

  5. 2019

    70+ Countries and Regions

    I CAN Children's Global Summit in Rome attended by 2500+ participants from 40 + countries

    BTC in 13 venues attended by 40 DFC champions and partners

    Launched I CAN Marketplace of solutions and Rainforest Challenge

    Kiran awarded the “Earth Prize” Award, at Luino Lago, Italy

    New countries onboarded : Liberia | Ukraine | Italy | Russia | Iran | Costa Rica | Sudan | Croatia | Slovakia | Canada | Zambia

  6. 2018

    65+ Countries and Regions

    8th Annual BTC in Taiwan, (1st-2nd December)

    BTC attended by 39 DFC champions and partners

    I CAN SCHOOL PLATFORM LAUNCHED

    DFC Global Inc incorporated on 25th May, 2018

    DFC Global appoints it's first CEO and has a board of 10 members

    3 operational office - INDIA, SPAIN, USA

    Increased footprint in Africa

    Kiran awarded the “Light of Freedom” Award, at the Vital Voices, U.S.A., Global Leadership Awards

  7. 2017

    60+ Countries and Regions

    7TH BTC MADRID, SPAIN (NOV 10-11), 29 PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES

    RESOURCE MATERIALS-(I CAN LESSONPLAN, FIDS, COMIC BOOKS)

    I CAN SCHOOL PLATFORM LAUNCHED

    INCREASED FOOTPRINT IN LATIN AMERICA, AFRICA and EUROPE

    TOP HUNDRED PROJECT IN THE WORLD

    COLLABORATION WITH SCHOLAS OCCURRENTES AND OIEC THAT TAKES DFC TO 446000 SCHOOLS WORLDWIDE

  8. 2016

    40+ Countries and Regions

    5th BTC Beijing, China (Dec 10-11) 18 Participating Countries

    Resource Material Development (Story Curriculum, FIDS)

    Completion of the 2nd Year of DTG Pilot

    I CAN School Platform

    Increased Footprint in Latin America

    collaboration with Wash United- 2nd Phase

    Listed on the Global education Innovation Initiative (GEII) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education

    Ashoka Globalizer

  9. 2015

    8000+ stories | 32+ Countries and Regions

    4th Be The Change Conference at Mexico

    HGSE Research Validates DFC Builds Empathy

    Dfc Recognized as an Action Step to Address UN Global Goals

    Successful Completion of DTG Pilot

    Kiran Receives the Asia Game Changer Award

  10. 2014

    7000+ Stories | 28 Countries and Regions

    3rd Be The Change Conference in India

    Sea of Change

    Top 10 Champion of Re-imagine Learning Challenge

    Global Teacher Prize Finalist

  11. 2013

    6000 Stories | 20 Countries and Regions

    2nd Be The Change Conference

    Launch of Design Thinking Guide

    Launch of Every Child Can Documentary

    DFC Publications

  12. 2012

    5000 Stories of Change 13+ Countries and Regions

    Be The Change Conference

    Rockefeller Foundation Innovation Award

  13. 2011

    4000 Stories of change 11 Countries and Regions

    Index Award

    I CAN Book First Edition

  14. 2010

    DFC goes Global

    1500 Stories of change

    Raffi composes i can song

    Impact Research by Goodwork

  15. 2009

    DFC launched in India

    700 Stories of change

    Kiran speaks at TED India