Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting some of the many outstanding projects by 2016 Alumni Scholarship Award winners. First up is MFA Design for Social Innovation student Ivan Boscariol on his Boiling Down program, which aims to reduce bullying and challenge gender norms through the power of cooking. Boscariol is one of 25 MFA Design for Social Innovation students who will present their thesis projects on Thursday, April 28th from noon to 5:00pm at the SVA Theatre (more information here). To watch a live stream of the presentations, click here.

Tell us about your project.
Boiling Down is a program for middle schools that brings self-awareness and fosters reflection on conflict through cooking—an activity highly experiential and transformative. It is targeted to help middle schools with bullying and social hostility issues in a way that is affordable and that doesn’t carry the stigma of some “anti-bullying programs.” It also gives special attention to the gender pressures both boys and girls live with, and invites them to reframe what it means to be a “man” or a “woman” in a compassionate and less competitive way.

What inspired the idea?
A program that teaches knitting to inmates in the U.S inspired me. I realized the combination of a “regular” activity with an added social emotional learning experience has a lot of potential, especially for those audiences who wouldn’t look for self-development on their own.

Features