School Outreach Programme
2023 has seen the launch of our School Outreach pilot scheme, which is aimed at school pupils with an interest in art and design who might like to pursue a career in the design industry.
What is the School Outreach Programme
Collaborating with the brilliant team at KLC Design school, the aim is to inspire and inform, showcasing the accessibility of Interior Design as a career path. The School Outreach encourages interest from a wide range of pupils to help them understand the courses to study at university and the next steps to get a job in Interior Design. .
The outreach programme is led by United in Design Co-Founder and Interior Designer, Alexandria Dauley, and written and delivered by KLC teaching champion Evey Dunbavin-Hands, with additional support from high-end interior design professionals who are supporters of United in Design.
Not only do the pupils benefit from a wonderful workshop day with highly qualified professionals but all pupils attending receive a goody bag packed full of useful information from United in Design partners and supporters.
Interior Design for Everyone - United in Design School Outreach programme
Our goody bags have included:
Winch Design - yearbook and branded USB stick
Shame Studios - brochure and information about their process
Balineum - a glazed tile for each pupil to try out in a mood boards
Firmdale Hotels gifted Firmdale Brochures, slim wired notepad and pencils
Tania Johnson gift
Studio Ashby – fabric swatches for mood boards
World of Interiors magazines
House & Garden magazines
Visiting Woodmansterne High School in Streatham
On the 13th March 2023 we hosted the very first of our Schools Outreach Scheme with a group of the pupils the wonderful Woodmansterne High School in Streatham visiting KLC School of Design for the day with taster lectures and a workshop to create a mood board for an imagined interior scheme.
The session was delivered to a group of keen art and design pupils by Alexandria Dauley and Evey Dunbavin-Hands. We welcomed the luxury interior designer and founder of Adẹ̀kọ́ & Co, Tolù Adẹ̀kọ́.
Tolù Adẹ̀kọ́ delivered a honest and thought-provoking talk to the students about his career path and the need for hard work and dedication as well as talent. He spoke about how he himself had attended a scheme run by Terence Conran (the founder of Habitat) which had given him inspiration and opportunity to take his career forward.
Visiting Kingsdale School in London
Our second session was on the 14th June 2023 with a group of talented students from Kingsdale School in London.
Alexandria Dauley and Evey Dunbavin-Hands led the presentation and workshop and welcomed the hugely talented Eva Sonaike who spoke about her path to career success as with a design consultancy and her own collection of soft furnishings and textiles with an elegant West African aesthetic.
"I had an incredible afternoon with United in Design at KLC in Chelsea Harbour, sharing my journey of building a global textile and interior design business with Sixth form students. Being authentic and approachable is vital for students to connect with professionals, especially in an industry that can seem daunting to those from diverse backgrounds. The students' insightful questions revealed their determination and eagerness to succeed, opening doors to an industry that may have once felt out of reach."
-Eva Sonaike, Interior Designer
It was wonderful to see how engaged and excited the pupils were in the taster day. The School Outreach forms a key part of United in Design’s mission to continue to deliver the message that Interior Design should be accessible to all and the importance of diversity in the industry.
Find out more
If you are an educator with pupils who might like to participate in our School Outreach programme contact us for more information.
