Design Sprint : Help Design Solutions That Safeguard Children During Disasters

How do we better safeguard children before, during, and after hurricanes and other disasters?

Florida is one of the most natural disaster-prone states in the country. Yet children and their unique physical, emotional, developmental, and family needs are too often overlooked in emergency management planning.
The FSU Innovation Hub and Elite DNA Behavioral Health, in partnership with the Stoops Center for Communities, Families, and Children, invite students to help answer that question at the Safe Child Design Sprint 2026. This is an opportunity to move beyond identifying the problem and help create solutions that could shape how communities prepare for disasters and protect their youngest residents. Free T-shirt and meals will be provided throughout the day. Seats are limited, so please register early. Bring a friend, bring your ideas, and help us design a safer and more resilient future for Florida’s children.

When: Friday, October 2 | 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Where: FSU Innovation Hub, Shores Building, across from Landis Green

• Register at innovation.fsu.edu/safechild.

This day-long, hands-on innovation challenge will bring together students from social work, design, engineering, business, and other disciplines to develop practical solutions that protect children and strengthen families and communities during natural disasters. Social work students bring essential expertise to this challenge. Your understanding of child development, family systems, trauma-informed care, community resilience, and vulnerable populations can help ensure that emergency plans and proposed solutions truly meet the needs of children and families.

During the sprint, you will:

• Work in interdisciplinary teams to develop innovative approaches to safeguarding children during disasters
• Apply your clinical, policy, and systems knowledge alongside designers, technologists, and community partners
• Build marketable skills in human-centered design, rapid prototyping, and cross-sector collaboration
• Network with faculty, practitioners, and organizations working in child welfare, disaster preparedness, and community resilience
• Compete for a share of $2,000 in prizes