Designers
Designers
Designers
The Empathy Project
Helping educators notice signs and teach them how to take confident actions.
Key Words
Designers
Hannah Weiler
Elizabeth Carlson
Kayla Jones
SUMMARY
We started our Capstone project by understanding how teachers recognize signs of domestic violence and feel unprepared to respond towards it. Through research, interviews and analysis we found a gap between awareness and real action. So, we created The Empathy Project Conference, an in-person, scenario-based training that helps educators practice real situations, build confidence, and make informed decisions. It turns passive learning into action and better supports at-risk students.
challenge
We identified that teachers often notice signs of domestic violence but feel unprepared to act. Through research on training requirements and educator feedback, we saw most programs focus on awareness, not real decision-making. There is little training on trauma, emotional support, or what to do in the moment. This gap creates hesitation and risk for students. The opportunity is to provide hands-on, scenario-based training that builds confidence and supports educators in taking informed action.
Outcome
Teachers, our key stakeholders, need guidance to responde to domestic violence cases, not just awareness. By reviewing current training and educator experiences, we found programs are often compliance based and lack real-life application. This gap leaves teachers unsure, emotionally unprepared, and hesitant in critical moments. The opportunity is to create interactive, scenario-based training that builds confidence, supports decision-making, and better equips educators to act.
MEET THE Designers:
Hannah Weiler
Elizabeth Carlson
Kayla Jones