The Field Immersions are built to accelerate capacity in innovative practices. We use design thinking, or complex problem-solving methods, that can be used both professionally and personally. The immersions are created in collaboration with local communities and filled with workshops and design sprints to solve real challenges that social enterprises face. We work in highly diverse teams alongside partners from academia, grassroots movements, social enterprises, and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Participants will learn to factor in cultural contexts and scaling challenges that need to be considered for an effective design process. While in Southeast Asia, the experienced DSIL team will coach you to lean into your individual learning edges and practice creativity while exposing you to a myriad of innovative projects and organizations all in an effort to help you understand what it means to create social impact. You will not find anything like a traditional academic environment on the DSIL Course. We are all teachers and students in the immersions and we learn by questioning, reflecting, and experimenting at every turn.

The Virtual Classroom is comprised of a series of live, online sessions with thought leaders from around the world who are evolving the discussion and experimentation around novel practices at the exciting intersection of business and social change. The sessions offer depth and interactive dialogue with practitioners on layered problems, emerging practices, and brave provocations. Every year, the DSIL team brings on speakers that are pushing the edges of their fields to offer wide perspectives in the classroom.

At DSIL, we center are anchored by two things: experiential learning (doing) and learning alongside others (doing with). During the Virtual Classroom and the DSIL Immersions you will be asked to complete a number of hands-on challenges that will facilitate meaningful and heightened self-awareness while practicing different design methodologies in your local context. The DSIL Challenges also offer effective leaderships practices to try in your own company or community. What happens as a result? You will feel increased confidence with your sharpened skills and tools by the end of the course that you will be able to shape them to fit into your life, work, and geographical context.

Every year the DSIL evaluations strongly confirm that one of the most valuable assets to the course is the people that you will travel, experiment, and learn beside. DSIL participants are selected for their ability to show bias towards action, radical openness, critical thinking, and a readiness for upward growth. Collectively, we encourage the practice of authenticity to ensure the creation of a highly generative and collaborative community that you will be able to re-create again in any situation after experiencing all the components your group engaged with to make it possible. Throughout the Course you'll have access to peer mentorship and Executive Coaching from our certified team. Through doing, dialogue, discussions, and storytelling you will find other participants, the DSIL team, speakers and organizations you meet along the way becoming a part of your long lasting #dsilstory.

All of our facilitators teach in a 'train the trainer' format so that you take the sharpened skill sets forward to others in your companies and communities. Upon completion of the Virtual Classroom and/or Field Immersion, plus conquering the DSIL Challenges, you will receive the Executive Certificate in 'Practices of Designing Thinking, Innovation and Leadership' from the Centre for Executive Education at the United Nations University for Peace. Our alumni have proven that the course was a launchpad that pushed them towards a new level of awareness and action- generating positive ripples in their lives and in the lives of others. See our full Impact Report to learn more!