Yidan Gong Design Intern Yidan Gong recently joined Grounded Strategies as a design intern for summer 2018, who has already made herself a valuable member of the team! Her primary focus is the new Green Playce at the Manchester Academic Charter School. This new outdoor classroom and play space will utilize a stretch of vacant lots directly behind the school, transforming unused space into a sensory-rich environment for developing young minds and bodies. In addition to contributing to the design process, she looks forward to interacting with members of the school community and near neighbors to achieve the best outcome for both the children using the space and all stakeholders. Yidan recently obtained her Masters in Urban Design from Carnegie Mellon University where she developed a strong interest in community led-design. This new experience builds upon her Urban Planning degree from Tianjin University in China, as well as study and work experience in Italy and Japan. Yidan enjoys spending time with friends and meeting new people by volunteering and engaging in community activities. She loves communicating with people of different professions, cultural backgrounds, and interests. She also appreciates doing Chinese calligraphy, shooting film photography and printing the photos. Yidan is passionate about life and would like to bring her happiness to others.