Halve It Component: 

My design project focuses heavily on the Wellness pillar of our school's framework.
Wellness means looking after ourselves, by eating the right food, and treating our body well. Wellness is important in a Middle School because, if students don't have proper wellness, they could become bored, unhealthy, tired, and won´t learn the things they need too. We need to make sure that students feel cheerful, belonging, and excited to come to school.

Sustainable Development Goal: 

SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing

The Maze Of Mystery meets SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) because it changes a normal, dull, boring playground into an entertaining, amusing, mysterious adventure. 'The Maze of Mystery’ provides the students with the ability to use their brain, problem solve, memorise, and stay calm while having fun. Students can use the real life size maze during their breaks to let go of stress and anxiety, while also improving memory, patience, and well-being during school.

School Context:

In our new school campus, there is a problem. No playspaces. Students can't have proper well-being if there is no place to play and enjoy breaks. But instead of adding typical swings and seesaws, what if there was something that was different compared to other schools? Something unique. A maze. Imagine if we had a real life size maze in our school, this would solve a big problem, boredom. Over half of Aussie school kids feel bored at school, but a maze can solve this. It gets boring going on the same equipment every day, but with a maze, it doesn't. If we have a maze that you can change and rearrange, this would increase problem solving skills, calmness, memory and brain function. A maze also can reduce stress, anxiety, and screen time. Boredom is one of the top three problems experienced by students world wide, and I believe `The Maze of Mystery’ would solve this. 

Liveability

Our new campus is right in town, buildings surrounding us with lots of people everywhere, so how can we include liveability? Liveability is an important part of schools, making sure everyone is happy, healthy and entertained. Some of the factors of liveability include, access to parks and playspaces, safe housing, and community facilities. Without these a place can become boring, less safe, and not as enjoyable.  

The impact this has on the residents would reduce well-being, decrease happiness, increase stress and anxiety, and create a lower quality of life. If we look at this through the lens of a school, it is important that we add fun spaces that keep students entertained, and spaces for students to connect, learn and exercise. Some examples that would increase liveability in schools and communities are, having creative playspaces, and my project, a maze, would increase wellness, creativity, memory, and problem solving skills.   

Blue Zones

Blue Zones are an important part of the world. Blue Zones are known for creating healthy environments so people live longer, have healthier lives, and stay fit while growing older. Some key features of Blue Zones are that people go on walks, and connect with others.  

However, one of the most important things they do is play. By play, it is not going on swings and slides, but their play is gardening, singing, going on walks and social games. All of these things release stress, anxiety, and boredom, which links to this project. 

`The Maze of Mystery´, is a real life size maze that will be on our school campus. While walking through this maze, it would reduce stress, anxiety, and boredom, just like the Blue Zone playspaces. People who live in Blue Zones don't often get bored because they are always doing something or they are entertaining. This project endeavours to do the same thing.

How might we design a life size maze to improve well-being, memory, problem solving and creativity, while reducing stress, anxiety, and boredom?

My project is called `The Maze of Mystery´. This interactive maze will ideally be located next to the rainforest inside of Brown and Jolly. The maze is a fun, enjoyable place for students to focus, relax, or simply hang out or play games with friends.

The walls of the maze would be made out of recycled materials, and hanging plants so students can be connected to nature while having fun. Students will have chances to rearrange the maze as the walls will be on lockable wheels. Having this feature would encourage students to use their creativity. Allowing students to engage with this would benefit their learning, increase core cognitive, motor, and psychological skills.

When a student enters the maze, all their stress and anxiety would instantly be released,  the maze would take their mind off their worries and be forced to find the way out. The Maze of Mystery would have lots of different paths to choose from making it a mystery. Some paths might go to the other side quickly while others will take time having students use their patience skills. After the break, students would be more focused when they enter the classroom.

While making the maze, students would have chances to build connections while also building the maze. Students can bring in recycled materials and plants. Students could also decorate the area, adding fairy lights and more to make the maze more cozy. When the maze is built, students can water the plants and watch them grow. As they run around the maze.

` The Maze of Mystery ´ would ensure that Middle School students would have the right wellbeing and wellness when they enter the maze and after they exit.