Educator Spotlight – Peter Hutton & Shei (Sha) Ascencio
24h for Change in Education – Live Stream
1. Short overview
Gabriel moderates a deep, very candid conversation with Peter Hutton (Global Village Learning, Australia) and Shei “Sha” Ascencio (Institute for Humane Education collaborator, based in Canada). They explore:
Radical re-imagining of school (beyond exams, timetables and “factory” classrooms)
Youth agency and solutionary action
The coming disruption of AI and what it means for meaning, purpose and community
How to build education around joy, well-being, justice and real-world impact
2. Who are the speakers?
Peter Hutton – Global Village Learning (Victoria, Australia)
Former “strict” deputy principal in traditional schools, now leading Global Village Learning, one of Australia’s most innovative learning communities.educationhq.com+1
They deliberately avoid many school labels: guides instead of teachers, young people instead of students, no high-stakes exams, and the possibility to go from age 4 to university entrance without a single high-stakes test.
Runs two campuses, including a new one in the historic Old Castlemaine Jail, which they are converting into a mixed learning–community hub.Global Village Learning
Shei (Sha) Ascencio – Solutionary & Youth Action educator
Former international-school teacher (20+ years globally), now based in Manitoba, Canada.
Collaborates with multiple organizations on community engagement, changemaking and youth action, especially with the Institute for Humane Education (IHE).edcuration.com
Her focus: student agency, youth activism, and helping young people turn concern about the world into concrete action.
3. Peter’s journey: from disciplined academic schools to radical innovation
Peter spent half his career in state schools, half in independent schools. Early on he was the classic “ruthlessly efficient” deputy principal in an academic, high-discipline environment.
Later he founded the Future Schools Alliance (≈110 innovative schools in Australia + ~20 internationally) and “The Constellation”, a micro-network of some of the most innovative schools he could find worldwide.
After years of consulting on innovation, he became frustrated with talk vs real change and decided he had “about 10 years left” to transform a school from the inside again.
He took over a tiny school (86 young people) three years ago; it has since grown by ~75% and purchased a second campus (the old jail). Growth comes from families seeking something different.
Core shift in his thinking
He no longer believes the current K–12 system can reform itself from within;
He expects AI will force change within about 5 years, whether educators want it or not.
His current work is at what he calls the “radical innovation” end of the spectrum:
rejecting most conventional assessment;
focusing on student agency, well-being, and community-building as central goals.
4. Shei’s journey: from classroom teacher to global “solutionary” work
Shei and her husband both worked in international schools worldwide; she loved teaching but grew dissatisfied with systems that didn’t truly support student agency and empowerment.
During the pandemic, they decided to “grow roots” in Canada and she shifted to work that still belongs to education but from another angle: supporting youth changemakers and teachers.
She works closely with the Institute for Humane Education (IHE), which helps educators bring critical global issues and ethical problem-solving into their curriculum.edcuration.com
Solutionary Microcredential & MOGO principle
At IHE she helps run the Solutionary Microcredential, a course that trains educators to use the Solutionary Framework so students can investigate local/global problems and design ethical, actionable solutions.edcuration.com+1
A solutionary is someone who:
identifies inhumane, unjust or unsustainable systems, and
designs solutions that do the Most Good and Least Harm (MOGO) for people, animals and the environment.edcuration.com+1
Framework in 4 flexible stages:
Identify an issue students deeply care about.
Investigate causes and stakeholders.
Innovate possible solutions.
Implement and refine actions with community partners.
Educators from dozens of countries join; many arrive already convinced that “business as usual” schooling is not enough—they’re ready for change, not needing to be persuaded.
5. How Global Village Learning actually works day to day
Not a “school” – a learning community
They still register as a school only when funding requires it; conceptually they see themselves as a learning community, not an institution reproducing the old model.
They try not to behave like a school:
no conventional timetable; instead individual schedules that can be highly structured or flexible depending on the young person;
no obsession with marks or standardized exams;
learning is organized around “what you would like to learn, do or make”;
assessment, when it happens, should be driven by the learner’s desire to see progress, not external judgment.
Critique of conventional schooling
Peter calls the 13 years of cramming facts for scarce university places a “complete joke”, especially in Australia where most reasonably prepared students can get some form of university entry.
He points out the irony of “preparing young people for the real world” while segregating them from it in highly controlled environments.
The “jail campus” as a community engine
The new campus is the historic Old Castlemaine Jail (1861), with high walls and razor wire—an ironic but powerful metaphor.
Rather than a prison, they see it as an “artist’s canvas”: very high ceilings, lots of light, and huge potential.Global Village Learning
The town of Castlemaine has a strong arts and alternative culture; half of the jail site will be a community precinct (arts groups, circus, dance, permaculture, and even the local community radio station).
This creates hundreds of real-world interaction points where young people work alongside adults on meaningful projects.
Analogue afternoons & the attention economy
Peter had assumed that if learners could follow their passions, issues like phone overuse would vanish. He now admits he was wrong:
Young people still compete with highly-optimized attention-grabbing algorithms.
Their response: “Analog afternoon” – tech-free afternoons to reclaim presence, hands-on experiences, and human interaction.
6. How they “sell” radical change to families (or don’t)
Peter’s stance
He questions the whole idea of having to build a marketing narrative:
Schools do not have an inherent right to exist; if they don’t add value, they should shrink or close.
Many young people are already silently rejecting school (non-attendance, disengagement).
As AI and robotics accelerate, the contrast between:
factory-like schools (PowerPoints, scripts, behavior management, “science of learning” reduced to drill), and
joyful, agency-driven, relevant learning communities
becomes so stark that the alternative “sells itself” to families who are ready to see it.
Shei’s view
At IHE and in her other projects, she doesn’t really have to convince;
Educators who join their programs already feel the disconnect between curriculum and reality.
They’re seeking frameworks and communities of practice that make learning meaningful and action-oriented.
She emphasizes the human pattern: when you feel something is wrong with the system, you naturally start looking for like-minded people—and that’s how new communities form.
7. AI, humanity and the future of learning
Peter’s “dark but honest” view
He doubts humans will remain “masters” of AI in any deep sense:
AI will very likely become vastly more intelligent than humans; historically, less intelligent agents don’t control more intelligent ones.
Short term: misuse by bad actors and inequality.
Longer term: AI could make much human work obsolete, including white-collar jobs that schools currently prepare kids for.
The real question becomes: How do humans maintain a meaningful life when machines can do almost all useful cognitive work better?
Universal Basic Learning / Giving
He argues simple Universal Basic Income (UBI) risks a “meaningless” future if people are paid to do nothing.
Proposes variations like:
Universal Basic Earning / Learning / Giving – income tied to acts of learning or community contribution (e.g., learning chess deeply then playing with humans; volunteering; building communities).
Education’s task: help young people make meaning when instrumental “learning for a job” is no longer enough.
Shei & Gabriel’s emphasis on humanity and intuition
Shei stresses going “back to basics”:
re-centering human connection, intergenerational learning, community, elders, nature;
teaching transfer skills: critical reading of information, ethical judgment, and the courage to act.
Gabriel uses chess as a metaphor:
computers are stronger than humans, but human players became better using engines as practice partners, developing deep intuition plus AI support.
The open challenge: design education so learners build those deep intuitions and values, instead of spending 12 years on mechanical recall that AI can do instantly.
8. Purpose, well-being and “solutionary” citizenship
Global Village Learning – purpose & community
School vision: “Empowering learners young and old to build communities that positively impact the world.”
Peter wants the primary explicit curriculum to be community-building skills – from small (family, clubs) to large-scale social impact initiatives.
They aim for young people who are:
happy (psychologically and physically safe, known and valued), and
productive (by their own definition, not just economic).
He notes the deepest joy of his career is still walking alongside young people and families on this journey.
Institute for Humane Education – solutionary citizenship
IHE’s mission is to help educators integrate pressing local and global issues into curricula so students can apply academic, critical thinking and socio-emotional skills to real challenges.edcuration.com+1
Their Solutionary Microcredential program supports educators to design learning where:
knowledge is always tied to action;
students measure understanding by the changes they can create in their communities.edcuration.com
Feedback from teachers and youth: once agency and community connection are built into learning, students’ solutions routinely surprise adults in depth and creativity.
Closing sentiments
Shei: this work must be done in community; no one can transform education alone. She invites ongoing collaboration and mutual support between like-minded educators.
Peter: despite all systemic problems, the joy of working with young people and co-creating a better future remains the deepest motivation.
Gabriel: echoes that joy on the “adult side”—finding that there are many aligned hearts and minds worldwide is itself a source of hope.
9. Main entities & useful links
24h for Change in Education – Global 24-segment live event on World Children’s Day, organized by The Learnerspace.
Website: 24hforchange.education
Live streams: The Learnerspace YouTube channel
Global Village Learning / Global Village School (Australia) – Innovative learning community led by Peter Hutton, with campuses including the historic Castlemaine Jail site in Victoria.educationhq.com+1
Info page (example – junior campus context): Global Village Learning at Braemar Collegeeducationhq.com
Institute for Humane Education (IHE) – Organization supporting humane education and solutionary learning; offers the Solutionary Microcredential.edcuration.com+1
Overview & microcredential description (via EdCuration profile).edcuration.com+1
1. Comprehensive summary of the Australia segment
Opening & framing
Gabriel (host) welcomes the Australian segment in the global 24h for Change in Education marathon and hands over to Matt, who convenes a panel of Australian association leaders and a federal policymaker.
Matt begins with an Acknowledgment of Country (Dharug/Duraban land near Sydney) and notes that the panel includes national presidents from:
Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA)
Australian Secondary Principals’ Association (ASPA)
Australian Government Primary Principals Association (AGPPA)
Catholic Secondary Principals Australia (CSPA)
Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA)
Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPSHA)
Australian Special Education Principals Association (AEPA)
plus the Australian Government Deputy Secretary for Education, Meg Brighton.
Angela Falkenberg – Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA)
Angela (from Adelaide, South Australia) introduces APPA and its core belief: when primary leaders are trusted, supported and genuinely heard, children, staff and communities thrive.
Key points:
Start Well, Learn Well campaign (2026)
A national campaign to highlight how primary schools build belonging, identity and community, and hold families through both “ordinary days and extraordinary times”.
Primary schools nurture curiosity, connection and confidence – the foundation for all further learning. (appa.asn.au)
Goodwill and role creep
Much of schools’ impact is powered by goodwill from principals, staff and communities going far beyond job descriptions.
But schools are increasingly being asked to host or deliver non-education services; APPA questions whether “because we are here, should we be here for everything?”
Principals’ wellbeing and conditions for leadership
APPA argues workload, trust, role clarity and system coherence should be treated as essentials, not optional extras.
They have commissioned world-first research on how threats/violence against school leaders reduce their effectiveness and harm teaching and learning.
Humanity at the core & OECD “Education for Human Flourishing”
Angela references OECD’s work on education for human flourishing – young people need more than knowledge: they need meaning, purpose and capabilities like adaptive problem-solving and ethical judgment. (OECD)
In the age of AI, technology should enhance human potential, not replace humans:
AI and data matter only when paired with empathy and human judgment.
Her “future classroom” vision: tech frees teachers to focus on relationships, creativity and mentoring.
Policy message
“Back to basics” is not enough; children deserve more than a “basic education”.
Primary education must be seen as a cornerstone, not just a stepping stone.
Transformation doesn’t come from the top alone: it happens when the profession stands, speaks and learns together.
Andy (ASPA) – Australian Secondary Principals’ Association
Andy represents ASPA, which supports leaders of public secondary schools across Australia. (youngchangeagents.com)
Main themes:
Moving beyond one-size-fits-all schooling
Schools are shifting towards flexible learning models built around students’ interests and capabilities.
Frameworks like Big Picture Education connect learning to student passions and real-world projects, balancing content knowledge with skills like critical thinking and collaboration. (ASPA)
AI and new technologies
Educators are embracing AI to support learning, personalise instruction and reduce administrative burden – not to replace teachers.
Student agency & entrepreneurial mindset
ASPA runs a national Entrepreneurial Skills Project in partnership with Young Change Agents, an organisation that builds entrepreneurial skills in young people. (appa.asn.au)
The project:
Develops an entrepreneurial mindset rather than “making everyone an entrepreneur”.
Sets up youth councils and partners with local organisations so students tackle authentic community problems.
Strengthens civics education and creates more engaged citizens.
Rethinking what “success” means
ASPA is a partner in the New Metrics for Success / Next Generation Learning project with the University of Melbourne and Melbourne Assessment. (youngchangeagents.com)
This initiative:
Develops new assessment practices that value leadership, teamwork, ethical thinking and other capabilities alongside grades.
Aims to “see and value the whole student”, not just a test score.
Dr Chris Duncan – AHISA (Heads of Independent Schools)
Chris is CEO of AHISA, representing principals of independent schools educating roughly a third of Australian students. (ahisa.edu.au)
Key elements of his contribution:
Educational neuroscience & critique of Cognitive Load Theory (CLT)
AHISA has been working with University of Sydney researchers (Assoc. Prof. Minkang Kim and Dr Derek Sankey) on educational neuroscience.
Together they published what they consider the first comprehensive educational, philosophical and neuroscientific critique of Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), which is influential in Australian policy debates. (ResearchGate)
They argue:
CLT relies on an outdated, 1980s “mind as information-processing computer” model.
Brains are self-organising and deeply shaped by emotion and feeling; there is no neurobiological evidence for an actual measurable “load”.
Neuroscience-informed conditions for learning
Chris refers to a rapid literature review commissioned by the Association of Independent Schools of NSW (AISNSW), Maximising learning and teaching: moving ahead with educational neuroscience. (aisnsw.edu.au)
From this work, six “necessary conditions of learning” are highlighted (interwoven, not linear):
Paying attention and actively engaging.
Repetition and rehearsal.
Monitoring errors and using feedback.
Seeking and finding meaning and value.
Enabling positive and addressing negative emotions in learning and assessment.
Thinking creatively, imaginatively and analogically.
Evidence-based teaching redefined
The review positions evidence-based teaching at the interface of:
Scientific research,
Teachers’ pedagogical expertise,
The values of the school.
Chris criticises policy fashions that marginalise teacher expertise and treat “evidence” as something external to practice.
Martin – Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPSHA) & Barker College
Martin is national president of IPSHA and Head of Junior School at Barker College, a large co-ed independent school in Sydney’s northern suburbs. (IPSHA)
Core ideas:
Character, capacity, confidence
He frames primary education as developing:
Capacity – knowledge and skills to handle challenges.
Confidence – built from capacity, not just rankings or scores.
Character – heart, ethics, and the ability to positively impact others.
Success is defined as each child’s growth, not league-table positions.
Belonging, relationships and adaptability
Students must feel safe and happy to learn; strong relationships and a sense of belonging are foundational.
Teaching must be flexible and adaptable to local contexts – especially in remote and Indigenous communities.
He highlights Barker’s three Indigenous campuses in regional NSW as an example of locally responsive, community-based education.
Dialogue on system constraints
In conversation with Matt, he notes that rigid structures (fixed hours, uniform models) can limit innovation; independent schools often have more flexibility, but large system schools need similar room to adapt.
Angela then jumps in to reinforce:
The need to respect practice-based evidence – the expertise of teachers in the classroom – alongside research evidence.
“Scalable is not same-able”: scaling good practice does not mean making everything identical.
Matt – Australian Special Education Principals Association (AEPA) & “The Inclusion Illusion”
Matt (also speaking as a special school principal) focuses on inclusion and special education.
Main points:
Disability Royal Commission & contested inclusion
He references Australia’s Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, whose report included divided recommendations about special schools. (Waespaa)
Three commissioners argued for phasing out special schools and support classes, interpreting them as “segregated” and contrary to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Matt counters that:
Around 98 % of students with disability already attend mainstream schools.
Special schools serve students with the most profound and complex needs; inclusion is about programs and supports, not just a location.
Parents who choose special schools strongly advocate for them; choice is central to equity.
Workforce and complexity
Complexity and diagnoses (especially autism) have increased markedly; the intake of special schools has become “very pointy-end”.
There is a shortage of specialist teachers and therapists; universities have reduced in-depth special education degrees, often only providing a broad “inclusive education 101”.
Multi-disciplinary, highly personalised work
Special schools build:
Individual learning plans,
Behaviour and management plans,
Independent living and health plans.
They coordinate inter-agency support (health, National Disability Insurance Scheme, allied health, etc.). (ndis.gov.au)
Daily communication with families is the norm; teachers and aides are effectively working with adults and systems as much as with students.
Link to global survey themes
Using results from Gabriel’s global survey, Matt shows how special schools exemplify the six themes: more human education, learning that matters in real life, reinvented teaching, personalised pathways, genuine teacher support, and deep family–school partnerships.
Meg Brighton – Australian Government Department of Education
Meg is Deputy Secretary for Schools at the Australian Government Department of Education. (Department of Education)
Key elements of her policy perspective:
Context & questions
Society, knowledge, skills and technology (especially AI) are evolving rapidly; education systems must adapt.
Central questions for the federal department:
How to ensure systems are ready for future challenges?
How to keep teachers and school leaders central to policy formation?
How to help every learner thrive in a rapidly changing world?
How to attract, support and retain teachers?
Teacher voice & global dialogue
She describes efforts to embed teacher voice and principal associations in national policy processes.
She references international discussions (e.g. world summits on teaching) where the student-teacher relationship is seen as a form of shared human heritage that must be protected in the age of digital transformation.
Australia’s federal structure
Education is a shared responsibility between the Commonwealth, states/territories, and a large non-government sector (about one-third of students in Catholic and independent schools). (ahisa.edu.au)
10-year national plan for “equity and excellence”
A cross-sector, 10-year plan anchors reforms with associated funding across:
Early childhood,
Schooling,
Universities.
Three major reform pillars in schools:
Equity & excellence – high-quality, evidence-based teaching tailored to individual needs, with extra support for those who need it.
Strong & sustainable workforce – better initial teacher education (ITE), clearer expectations of knowledge, skills and attributes, and support for teachers as lifelong learners.
Wellbeing for learning – structured approaches to wellbeing to ensure students feel safe, connected and ready to learn, including attention to character, resilience and belonging.
Digital wellbeing: social media age restriction
Meg notes that, from 10 November, Australia is implementing a world-first national social media age restriction so under-16s cannot have accounts on major platforms, combined with widespread school mobile-phone bans, to support wellbeing and focus on learning. (The details are still evolving in public policy and legislation, but the direction is clear.)
Meg closes by acknowledging that, despite progress, there is still significant work ahead, and thanks the associations for their partnership.
2. Entities mentioned and key URLs
Below are the main organisations, initiatives and frameworks referred to in the segment (not every place/person), with representative URLs:
Australian professional associations
Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) – National body for government, Catholic and independent primary principals; leading the Start Well, Learn Well campaign.
Website: https://appa.asn.au (ahisa.edu.au)
Australian Secondary Principals’ Association (ASPA) – Represents leaders of public secondary schools across Australia.
Website: https://www.aspa.asn.au (youngchangeagents.com)
Australian Government Primary Principals Association (AGPPA) – Represents leaders of government primary schools nationally.
Website: https://www.agppa.asn.au (Waespaa)
Catholic Secondary Principals Australia (CSPA) – Peak body for secondary principals in the Catholic sector.
Website: https://cspa.catholic.edu.au (caspa.edu.au)
Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPSHA) – Association for heads of independent primary schools (Martin is national president).
Website: https://www.ipsha.org.au (IPSHA)
Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA) – Represents principals/heads of independent schools educating about one-third of Australian students (Chris’s organisation).
Website: https://www.ahisa.edu.au (ahisa.edu.au)
Australian Special Education Principals Association (AEPA) – National body for leaders in special education (Matt’s association).
Website: https://www.aepa.org.au (appa.asn.au)
Government bodies & commissions
Australian Government Department of Education – Federal department responsible for national policy in schools, early childhood and higher education (Meg’s role).
Website: https://www.education.gov.au (Department of Education)
Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (Disability Royal Commission) – National inquiry referenced in Matt’s “inclusion illusion” discussion.
Overview: https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au (Waespaa)
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) – Australia’s national funding scheme for people with disability, a key partner for special schools.
Website: https://www.ndis.gov.au (ndis.gov.au)
Schools & school networks mentioned
Barker College – Co-educational independent school in Sydney with Indigenous campuses (Martin’s school).
Website: https://www.barker.college (youngchangeagents.com)
(Other schools are mentioned generically or as local examples; most don’t need URLs for your purposes unless you want them.)
Projects, initiatives & partners
Start Well, Learn Well – APPA’s 2026 national campaign highlighting the role of primary schools in building strong communities.
Campaign info: hosted via APPA – example media: https://www.appa.asn.au (campaign details in news/media section). (appa.asn.au)
Young Change Agents – Social enterprise partnering with ASPA on the Entrepreneurial Skills Project to build entrepreneurial mindsets in students.
Website: https://youngchangeagents.com (Wikipedia)
New Metrics for Success (Next Generation Learning) – University of Melbourne/Melbourne Assessment project co-designed with schools (including ASPA) to broaden how student success is recognised and assessed.
Project page: https://www.newmetrics.edu.au (youngchangeagents.com)
Educational Neuroscience work with University of Sydney – Collaboration between AHISA and University of Sydney scholars (Minkang Kim, Derek Sankey) on neuroscience and critiques of Cognitive Load Theory.
Example reference: https://www.sydney.edu.au/education_social_work (see research profiles for Dr Minkang Kim/Derek Sankey) (ResearchGate)
Maximising learning and teaching: moving ahead with educational neuroscience – Rapid literature review for the Association of Independent Schools of NSW (AISNSW) that outlines six conditions for learning.
AISNSW (organisation): https://www.aisnsw.edu.au (aisnsw.edu.au)
International frameworks & organisations referenced
OECD – Education for Human Flourishing – OECD framework emphasising adaptive problem-solving, ethical competence and broader human capacities, referenced by Angela.
Overview: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/education-for-human-flourishing_73d7cb96-en.html (OECD)
PISA High Performing Systems for Tomorrow (HPST) – OECD project that further develops the human-flourishing agenda and frames competencies for future-ready education systems.
Project page: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/projects/pisa-high-performing-systems-for-tomorrow-hpst.html (OECD)
International Confederation of Principals (ICP) – Global network of principal associations; Matt mentions publishing in the ICP magazine.
Website: https://www.icponline.org (icponline.org)
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – Referenced implicitly when Matt discusses commissioners favouring full inclusion in line with UN children’s rights.
Text: https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child (disability.royalcommission.gov.au)
Ireland – 24h for Change in Education segment
Short summary
The Ireland segment focuses on how school leadership and wellbeing are being re-imagined so that leaders can flourish, small rural schools can be sustainably led, and students’ wellbeing is truly at the centre of school life. It also highlights the WILL network, which supports women in educational leadership and tackles barriers such as confidence, culture, and childcare.
Key themes & initiatives
From “surviving” to “thriving” school leaders
The Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) has focused on sustainable leadership, arguing that principals are drowning in administration and have too little time for their core purpose: leading teaching and learning. Their research was picked up in the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2024 on Leadership, whose recommendations (reduce admin, distribute leadership, avoid “lone hero” models) have helped push Irish policy to act. (UNESCO Documents)
Small Schools Action Research Project & Executive Officer role
Ireland’s Small Schools Action Research Project pilots cluster executive/administrative officers who handle procurement, audits, policy drafting, and compliance across several small schools, freeing teaching principals to focus on pedagogy. Early evidence from clusters like Donegal shows reduced stress, fewer interruptions, better collaboration, and more time for teaching, planning, and professional dialogue. (beta.contractfinderpro.com)
Whole-school wellbeing in practice (Mary Mother of Hope SNS)
Mary Mother of Hope Senior National School in West Dublin shows what wellbeing “in action” looks like: a diverse, inclusive Catholic school with over 20 nationalities and strong support for pupils with additional needs, including an autism class. Their approach blends national policies (Wellbeing Policy Statement & Framework, Primary Curriculum Framework) with rich school life: SPHE & PE, Active School status, Friendship Week, Intercultural Week (“Many cultures, one community”), Seachtain na Gaeilge, sports partnerships, “hot chocolate” check-ins for vulnerable pupils, and a smartphone-free voluntary code. (IPP Network)
Inclusive support frameworks – NCSE “Relate”
The school is engaging with NCSE’s RELATE framework, a relational, neurodiversity-affirming approach that emphasises pupil voice, regulation first, universal design for learning, and unconditional positive regard for the child—strengthening how they respond to behaviour and support pupils with complex needs.
Women in Learning and Leadership (WILL network)
Dr. Katherine Corbett (primary) and Rachel O’Connor (post-primary) co-founded WILL – Women in Learning and Leadership, a free network of ~2,500 members. Through online “WILL Chats” and in-person “WILL Brunch” events, they provide mentoring, role models, and networking for aspiring and serving women leaders, explicitly addressing barriers of confidence, culture, and childcare that often keep women from applying for leadership roles. (NetworkingJeanie)
Global links & research collaboration
Irish leadership work is being linked to international bodies such as the International Confederation of Principals (ICP) and the European School Heads Association (ESHA), with a view to a joint research project responding to the UNESCO GEM report and an international conference on school leadership in Ireland in 2027. (ESHA)
Main entities mentioned
1. Irish organisations & projects
Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN)
National professional body for primary school principals and deputy principals in Ireland; driving research and advocacy on sustainable and thriving school leadership, including being referenced in discussions that fed into the GEM 2024 Leadership report.
Small Schools Action Research Project (Department of Education & Youth)
National pilot creating clusters of small schools (e.g., Donegal cluster) with shared supports such as an Executive Officer (EO) to reduce admin load and improve sustainability for teaching principals. (beta.contractfinderpro.com)
Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA)
Management body supporting Catholic primary schools; an education partner in initiating the small schools project. (cpsma.ie)
Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO)
The main teachers’ union in Ireland, partnered in designing and supporting the small schools action research project. (Irish National Teachers’ Organisation)
Department of Education (Ireland) – Wellbeing Policy & Framework
Issues the Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice and Primary Curriculum Framework, which underpin schools’ wellbeing and curriculum work.
National Council for Special Education (NCSE) – RELATE framework
Provides the RELATE framework to help schools understand and respond to behaviour through a relational, inclusive and neurodiversity-affirming lens.
2. Schools & networks featured
Mary Mother of Hope Senior National School (Dublin)
Large co-educational Catholic primary school (ages ~8–12) in Dublin 15, with 20+ nationalities, strong inclusion of pupils with additional needs (incl. an autism class), and a whole-school wellbeing culture (SPHE, PE, Active School status, Friends for Life, Friendship Week, Intercultural Week, etc.). (IPP Network)
Bishop Galvin National School (Dublin)
Primary school in Templeogue, Dublin, where Dr. Katherine Corbett is principal; linked to the founding of the WILL network. (NetworkingJeanie)
WILL – Women in Learning and Leadership network
Cross-sector network for women in Irish education interested in or currently in leadership roles; runs WILL Chats (online, podcast-style conversations) and WILL Brunch in-person events. (NetworkingJeanie)
3. International bodies & references
UNESCO Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2024 – Leadership
Global report focusing on leadership at all levels of education, highlighting how admin overload and “lone hero” models limit impact, and recommending distributed leadership, reduced admin, and stronger support for leaders—used in Ireland to bolster the case for reform. (UNESCO Documents)
International Confederation of Principals (ICP)
Global organisation representing school leaders, providing international networking and advocacy; Ireland is involved through IPPN and is planning future collaboration and events. (ESHA)
European School Heads Association (ESHA)
European-level network of school leaders and their associations, partnering with Ireland on possible research and the 2027 international conference on school leadership.
Useful URLs (for reference & follow-up)
Irish & school leadership
Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) – sustainable leadership & projects
👉 https://www.ippn.ie
Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO)
👉 https://www.into.ie (Irish National Teachers’ Organisation)
Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA)
👉 https://www.cpsma.ie (cpsma.ie)
UNESCO GEM Report 2024 – Leadership in Education (overview page)
👉 https://www.unesco.org/reports/gem/2024/leadership (UNESCO Documents)
Wellbeing & inclusion
Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice (Department of Education, Ireland)
👉 (policy overview) https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/a0195-wellbeing-policy-statement-and-framework-for-practice/
Primary Curriculum Framework (NCCA – curriculum reform)
👉 https://www.ncca.ie/en/primary/primary-curriculum-framework
National Council for Special Education – RELATE framework
👉 https://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/RELATE_Overview-Accessible.pdf
Mary Mother of Hope Senior National School
👉 https://www.hopens.ie (IPP Network)
Networks & international bodies
WILL – Women in Learning and Leadership (example CPD event/info page)
👉 https://www.blackrockec.ie/cpd-courses/10045-women-in-learning-and-leadership-will (NetworkingJeanie)
International Confederation of Principals (ICP)
👉 https://www.icponline.org
European School Heads Association (ESHA)
👉 https://www.esha.org (ESHA)
If you’d like, I can now do one-liners per speaker (Poric, Finnbar, Ana, Katherine) similar to what we did for the other segments, or pull these into a slide-ready table.
Summary – Leadership Focus with Ainsley Rose & André Mamprin
In this almost-closing segment of 24h for Change in Education, you bring together Ainsley Rose (veteran Canadian educator) and André Mamprin (Canadian leadership and systems consultant) to explore why education is so hard to change, what real innovation looks like, and what kind of leadership the current moment demands.
André traces his path from systems engineering in oil & gas, manufacturing, banking and now large-scale healthcare systems. Over 20+ years as a consultant, he’s become obsessed with leadership and with one core insight: humans drive value and change, not systems on paper. From his vantage point in the corporate and public sectors, he sees education as “one of the least disrupted human enterprises” despite enormous pressure on other systems to transform. He asks why, if we all depend on its output, education remains so structurally resistant to change.
Ainsley comes from the other side of the fence: 53 years in education, from teacher to principal to system leader and long-time consultant, including leadership retreats in Québec that he’s now been running for 19 years. He recalls your long friendship, your visits between British Columbia and Buenos Aires, and the many shared projects. From that lifetime of experience, his verdict is blunt: we need to rethink school from the ground up. He saw the COVID shutdown as a once-in-a-century chance to break the pattern of age-graded boxes, seat-time and teacher talk—but the system rushed back to “normal” instead of reinventing itself.
A major thread is missed opportunities and structural resistance. Ainsley laments that despite countless brilliant school innovations worldwide, schools next door often ignore these exemplars instead of adapting them. You suggest part of the explanation is ego and status in education: innovators are usually generous, but many others struggle to adopt and credit ideas that originated elsewhere. Unlike tech, where clients demand the latest and open-source culture lowers egos, families are still lukewarm about radically different school models, so systems feel less pressure to move.
From here Ainsley offers his “brush fires to bonfires” model of change. Instead of grand reforms and ministerial mandates (“Thou shalt implement the new curriculum/assessment”), he argues for starting with two willing teachers who pilot, experiment, fail, adapt and slowly attract colleagues. These small “controlled burns” spread curiosity and proof of concept far better than top-down directives. Mandates, he says, “don’t matter” if people don’t truly own the change.
André adds a systems and disruption lens. Comparing education budgets in Alberta with the enormous healthcare enterprise he works in (tens of billions and massive data systems), he explains how complexity, politics, antiquated structures and vested interests all lock in the status quo. He points to Reggio Emilia as a historical example of community-led disruption—tearing down an unsatisfying school and rebuilding around a tree and children’s interests—and notes how that and Montessori began as radical, child-centred experiments that later solidified into brands and dogmas. For him, we’re now at a “forest fire” moment as a species: complexity is out of control, and AI is the biggest disruptive force of our lifetime, making current business and operating models quickly obsolete.
You then steer the conversation toward purpose and a positive vision of the future, a theme that has run through the whole 24 hours. You propose that one of the top goals of schooling today should be to graduate students with a positive outlook on the future—yet almost no schools make that explicit. Ainsley connects this to pedagogy: schools focus too much on what to learn (content) instead of how to learn, and teachers still do too much that students could do themselves. His two mantras:
Shift from “what to teach” to “how to learn”.
“Teachers should never do for kids what kids can do for themselves.”
He argues we must put learning back into students’ hands, fuel their natural curiosity, co-construct success criteria, and stop turning school into a passive “teacher talks, students regurgitate” system. Kids come to school full of questions, and by Grade 3 they’ve mostly stopped asking “why” because they’ve learned the pattern.
From the workplace side, André links everything to purpose, curiosity and an “activist mindset.” He describes meeting a 15-year-old at a Future Summit on AI who already has a clear purpose: to become a fashion designer using AI and strong math skills to run his own business. For André, that’s the model: a young person with (1) a positive vision of the future and (2) a deep, personal sense of purpose. Without those, neither students nor adults have the energy to tackle big problems. He suggests that true educators (as distinct from people who just “teach content”) are people driven by purpose and passion for their subject and for human beings.
You both underline that schools currently do not explicitly design for purpose and positive future vision, even though that may be their most urgent responsibility in a world of climate anxiety, polarization and AI-driven uncertainty. André connects this to storytelling and political leadership: we’re starved of leaders who can paint a compelling picture of a preferable future and invite people into it. Schools could—and should—fill that void.
When you ask about “new forms of leadership”, André’s answer is simple but demanding: leadership must explicitly integrate empathy. In a world where AI is trained on the often dark content of the internet, empathy, emotional depth and human connection are precisely what machines cannot authentically replicate. Future leadership, in his view, is about courage to disrupt the status quo plus the empathy to truly care about people as we do it.
The segment closes as Susannah joins from Hawai‘i, bringing in the aloha spirit and the shared question of “what does it mean to be a good human?”. André links back to indigenous knowledge and reconciliation in Canada, reading a land acknowledgement that honours First Nations, Métis and their relationship to the land. He stresses that indigenous wisdom has walked this path before us; we don’t need to reinvent everything. You both recall collaborative innovation like The Next Learnerspace, which framed learning around five core dimensions—self, community, nature, technology and leadership—and brought together cohorts of young people worldwide to explore them. His parting thought: many people on the call are already those “innovators in small corners of large ecosystems,” lighting brush fires that, with time and support, can become bonfires.
Key people mentioned
Ainsley Rose – Canadian educator with over 50 years of experience as teacher, principal, system leader and consultant; co-creator and leader of long-running leadership retreats in Québec; long-time collaborator and friend of yours.
André Mamprin – Canadian leadership and systems consultant; background in systems engineering, oil & gas, manufacturing, banking and healthcare; works with large-scale enterprises on organizational renewal, leadership and ecosystem thinking.
Gabriel Rshaid – Host of the segment, co-creator of 24h for Change in Education and long-standing colleague/friend of both guests.
Susannah – Educator/facilitator joining from Hawai‘i to lead the next segment, bringing in the perspective of the aloha spirit and “what it means to be a good human.”
Other references: Christine (colleague of Ainsley), Noel (participant in the OECD segment mentioned in passing), the young participant Niall/Nile (15-year-old aspiring fashion designer at the Future Summit).
Organizations / initiatives referenced
24h for Change in Education – The 24-hour global livestream event this conversation is part of.
ESAP/ESSARP conference in Buenos Aires – Where you and Ainsley first met and began collaborating.
Leadership retreat in Québec – Ainsley’s long-standing leadership program for school leaders.
Alberta healthcare system – Example André uses of a massive, data-rich, complex system now grappling with AI and systemic redesign.
Charter schools & private schools (North America) – Cited by Ainsley as fast-growing alternatives driven by parent demand, contrasted with resistant public systems.
Reggio Emilia – Italian community-founded educational approach that radically redesigned schooling around children’s interests and environment.
Montessori – Another once-disruptive model that has become, over time, a branded, more rigid system.
Future Summit (Canada) – AI-focused event where André met the 15-year-old aspiring fashion designer.
The Next Learnerspace – Collaborative global initiative you, André, Susannah and others ran, focusing on self, community, nature, technology and leadership.
URL
Leadership focus segment video
24h for Change in Education – Live Stream – Leadership focus (Ainsley Rose & André Mamprin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJuS0JnO04M
· 24h for Change in Education (event site)
👉 https://24hforchange.education
· The Next Institute (leadership & ecosystems think tank where André has worked / led neXt Lab)
👉 https://imaginethenext.com Bold and Visible
· Future Summit – AI & innovation in Western Canada
(Good overview of the event series André mentions)
👉 https://betakit.com/future-summit-aims-to-help-build-an-ai-advantage-for-western-canada/ Startup Ecosystem Canada
· Reggio Emilia Approach (the Italian example of community-driven school redesign André cites)
👉 https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/reggio-emilia-approach/
· Montessori movement (the other “disruption that became a brand” you reference)
👉 https://www.montessori-ami.org/
· Alberta Health Services (the very large health system André is working with as a comparison for complex educational systems)
👉 https://www.albertahealthservices.ca
India segment – Salwan Education Trust (Delhi NCR, India)
Main partner: the Salwan group of schools under Salwan Education Trust, New Delhi – umbrella site: salwanpublicschool.edu.in / salwanschools.org.in (Wikipedia)
The India hour is essentially a multi-campus showcase of how one school group is turning STEAM, AI, robotics, arts and mathematics into real products, services and learning ecosystems, strongly aligned with India’s NEP 2020 and an Education 5.0 vision (human at the centre, technology as enabler).
1. STEM, agriculture & wellness
Salwan Public School, Trans Delhi Signature City (Ghaziabad) – part of the Salwan network (Wikipedia)
Core idea: Science as a lens for healthier living and sustainable futures, not just a subject.
Key projects (students as young engineers & agripreneurs):
Solar-powered “7-in-1 Automated Farmer”
A multi-purpose, solar-driven farm vehicle that:
sows seeds, irrigates, harvests and monitors soil moisture with sensors
uses ultrasonic sensors + RC system for obstacle detection
aims to cut labour, fuel and maintenance while increasing yields
→ Agriculture + sustainability + automation in one coherent solution.
Smart School Bus
A safety-focused prototype with:
drowsy-driver IR eye-blink monitoring (buzzer if eyes closed >2s)
laser-based child-hand-out-of-window detection
face-recognition attendance linked to a safe database
→ Child-centred engineering that addresses real transport risks.
“Aqua Dive” hydropower vehicle
Water-energy powered mobility concept using hydroelectric storage, DC booster and Arduino-based control (gyro, ultrasonic, Bluetooth, webcam).
Includes obstacle detection and automatic “diving” / movement modes.
Automated pest-detection & spray system
Sensor array that detects pest movement and targets only affected zones.
Also integrates fire alert, humidity monitoring and safety buzzers.
→ Smart-farming prototype that minimises chemical use and labour.
Future pipeline ideas:
E-tongue – AI-based device to instantly test food purity & taste.
Redefining Roads – porous roads that absorb rainwater + “smart” speed breakers for safer travel.
Safe Vahana – 2-wheeler safety system with airbags and crash response.
AFS robot – autonomous fire-response robot.
Hydroponics, aeroponics & microgreens for wellness
Vertical hydroponic towers (32 plants each) used to teach:
efficient water use, nutrient cycles, precision farming, pesticide-free cultivation.
Actual yields shared with students (e.g. cycles of basil, lettuce, pak choi).
Microgreens project:
children learn that microgreens can have ~5× more nutrients than mature leaves (nutrition science) (spsmayurvihar.edu.in)
they design recipes, posters and videos to promote microgreens at home.
Complemented by yoga, mindfulness, sports and nutrition education → STEM + health + sustainability + habits.
2. Generative AI in early years & low-cost water purification
Salwan Junior School, Naraina & Salwan Girls School, Rajendra Nagar (Delhi)
a) Generative AI for early-years storytelling
Experiment design:
Theme chosen by teacher (e.g. “don’t trust strangers”).
Students + teachers use generative AI to:
draft a short story in 5–6 clear scenes,
create illustrations for each scene (image generation),
prepare a printable sequencing worksheet from those images.
Audio: narration is always recorded by a human (student, parent, teacher, grandparent) – they deliberately avoid AI voices to preserve human warmth.
In class:
Teacher reads story aloud.
Children listen to an audio version.
They watch an animated clip (e.g. via tools like Animaker/character animation).
Then they sequence printed pictures on a worksheet.
Skills built: listening comprehension, sequencing, organizing, basic numeracy, AI literacy, and collaborative content creation—AI as co-author, not replacement.
They also run a weekly audio-story podcast (on platforms like Spotify) where older students use generative AI to help with:
topic research and scripts,
quiz creation,
audio enhancement and sound-design.
b) Portable, sustainable water-purification system
From Salwan Girls School, Rajendra Nagar:
A portable, low-cost filter aimed at off-grid / resource-limited communities.
Uses a layered natural filter:
gravel → large particles
fine sand → suspended solids
ceramic stones → bacteria & microorganisms
activated carbon → chemicals, taste & odour
Hand-pump drives water from bottom, filtered water exits at the top.
Explicitly mapped to:
SDG 6 (Clean Water & Sanitation),
SDG 3 (Health),
SDG 13 (Climate Action). (salwanschools.org.in)
3. Human-centred robotics & affordable lab tools
Salwan Public School, Rajendra Nagar (Wikipedia)
Through the Robocoders Club, students work with school and industry mentors to build market-ready assistive and agricultural tech.
Flagship innovation: Socks-pairing device for visually impaired
Device pairs socks by both colour and weight (low-cost sensors + microcontroller).
Designed so visually impaired users can match socks independently.
Cost target: about ₹2,500 (~28 USD), far below typical assistive tech prices.
Recognition:
1st place out of ~7.5 lakh innovations in a national competition (Inspire Awards – MANAK and other councils mentioned). (salwanschools.org.in)
Represented India at an Asian summit in Malaysia.
Featured at India International Science Festival; appreciated by Union ministers.
Other robotics & sensor-based projects
GrainEye Guard – spoilage detection device for stored grain:
monitors CO₂, moisture, temperature; bilingual alerts (Hindi/English); aims to reduce post-harvest losses and pesticide use.
DropExact – India’s first affordable motorised micropipette:
1–200 µL range; intended cost ~₹7,000–₹8,000 vs imported models ~₹94,000–₹1.5 lakh.(salwanschools.org.in)
Opens precision lab work to schools and small rural labs.
Robotic arm & robotic face – 3D-printed arm and animated face using Arduino/servos for:
high-precision tasks,
human–robot interaction experiments.
Obstacle-free car – ultrasonic/IR-based autonomous car for safe navigation.
Needle-threader – sensor-driven helper for threading needles (beep when correctly aligned).
Thread running through all projects: tech is always framed as solving human problems (autonomy, livelihoods, safety), not as tech for its own sake.
4. Art as a “language of learning”
Salwan Public School, Gurugram (Wikipedia)
Thesis: Art doesn’t just decorate learning; it makes learning visible.
Anchored strongly in NEP 2020’s call for experiential, interdisciplinary, joyful learning, rooted in Indian knowledge systems. (salwanpublicschool.edu.in)
School-wide ecosystem
Hunar Mela / Skill Exhibition
Craftspeople (folk embroidery, tie-dye, lacquer work, pottery, etc.) work side-by-side with students.
Students learn technique + stories of livelihood and legacy.
Heritage Club
Social science becomes theatre, artefact creation, timelines, storytelling.
Students recreate Indus seals, act out historical events, design time-lines.
Collaboration with IGNCA – “Vismrit Kriti / Lost Art Forms” (SPS Gurugram)
Students research endangered forms like Sanjhi, Ganjifa, Pattachitra, Phad, etc., then curate exhibitions to “bring them back into the conversation.”
Dharohar Festival
Celebration of art, dance, music and culture as a living part of identity, not a one-off annual show.
Art-integration inside subjects
Math: fraction garlands, polygon art, square-root spirals, string-art graphs.
Languages: designing travelogues, newspaper-style layouts, classified ads → connecting text, layout and visual communication.
Science: thematic art pieces (e.g. “food journey” linking chemistry of cooking, biology of digestion, physics of heat).
Observed impact: deeper conceptual grasp; greater confidence in presenting; cultural rootedness; natural development of the “4Cs” – creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, communication.
5. From abstract maths to applied AI & 3D worlds
Salwan Public School, Mayur Vihar (spsmayurvihar.edu.in)
Talk titled “Abstract to Applied” – how school-level mathematics underpins machine learning, data analytics and 3D modelling.
Machine Learning
Students frame ML around:
Types of learning: supervised, unsupervised, reinforcement.
Mathematical backbones: linear & logistic regression, SVMs, neural networks, activation functions, optimisation.
Student projects:
MindWell – mental-wellness support platform:
supervised learning to analyse mood data; facial-emotion detection via deep learning; mood tracking, voice journaling, recommendations.
Voice-therapy Progress Tracker
converts speech into signals/graphs; tracks clarity, pitch, fluency; provides visual feedback to users and therapists.
Data Analytics
Focus on turning raw numbers into decisions using averages, variance, probability, multivariate analysis.
Projects:
Internal “live” analytics for report cards
school IT department built a system that transforms marks into vectors and radar charts; highlights strengths/weaknesses and growth patterns for each student; informs differentiated teaching.
StockVision
real-time stock tracking using Yahoo Finance API, visualised with Matplotlib; students experiment with trend reading and simple predictive logic. (salwanpublicschool.edu.in)
AI-enabled smart wheelchair
integrates sensors for ECG/heart-rate, obstacle detection, medication reminders, reclining bed; sends alerts to carers: data + empathy + engineering.
3D Modelling & Low-cost “LiDAR-like” sensing
Students learn about vertices, edges, meshes, Fourier transforms, Kalman filters as the math behind 3D graphics and sensor fusion.
ForIO / PO project – low-cost alternative to LiDAR:
uses ultrasonic + IR sensors to measure distance and build a 3D awareness of surroundings; recognised at Techfest, IIT Bombay and funded via Inspire Awards – MANAK. (spsmayurvihar.edu.in)
next step: integrate 3D-mapping algorithms for autonomous navigation.
6. Closing message from Salwan leadership
In the final dialogue, Salwan leaders stress:
The shift from teacher-centred → student-centred → co-created classrooms, where:
teacher and student learn with technology together,
neither claims to be “the” expert in a fast-changing world.
AI today is mostly used as:
co-author of content,
amplifier of learning,
future tutor/mentor for self-study and personalised learning.
Their priority is to form resilient, empathetic, adaptive learners who:
keep the human at the centre of Education 5.0,
use AI and technology to enhance, not erase, creativity and responsibility.
Salwan group & schools
Salwan Education Trust / Salwan Schools network
https://salwanschools.org.in
Salwan Public School, Rajendra Nagar (New Delhi)
https://salwanpublicschool.edu.in
The following branches are part of the same Salwan network; branch pages are usually linked from the main Salwan Schools site above:
Salwan Public School, Trans Delhi Signature City (Ghaziabad) – via Salwan Schools site
Salwan Public School, Mayur Vihar – via Salwan Schools site
Salwan Public School, Gurugram – branch page linked from Salwan Schools (e.g. “Salwan Public School, Gurugram”)
Salwan Girls School, Rajendra Nagar (New Delhi) – via Salwan Schools site
Salwan Junior School, Naraina (New Delhi) – via Salwan Schools site
Indian institutions / programmes mentioned
INSPIRE Awards – MANAK (DST, Government of India)
https://inspireawards-dst.gov.in nif.org.in
India International Science Festival (IISF)
https://scienceindiafest.org ChatGPT
Techfest – Annual Science & Technology Festival, IIT Bombay
https://techfest.org sofworld.org
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA)
https://ignca.gov.in
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) – host of the Bangalore event mentioned
https://www.tcs.com
1. Comprehensive summary of the Argentina segment
Focus of the segment
This segment centers on HumanEdu (Humano Edu), a three-day gathering/retreat for educators dedicated to human development in education. It’s presented as a counter-balance to the many PD offers around AI, tech, math, etc., and (so far) unique in Latin America in putting the human person explicitly at the center of school change. humanedu.org+1
Participants in the conversation:
Gabriel (host and co-founder of HumanEdu)
Juan Mora (Argentine education consultant, ex–National Director for Environmental Education) educacion.jujuy.gob.ar
Leandro Bulacio (educator at St. Andrew’s Scots School) Facebook
Daniel (“Dani”) (long-time teacher at St. Andrew’s Scots School)
The segment weaves together three strands:
What HumanEdu is and how it works
Why human-centered education is urgent in the age of AI
The inner journeys of the educators involved
1. What HumanEdu is
Format & setting
HumanEdu is not a conventional conference. It’s a highly participative, ritual-based gathering with circles, shared reflection, and contemplative practices.
It takes place in Pueblo Garzón, Uruguay, hosted at The Garzón School, a rural school designed as an innovative learning environment and surrounded by nature. rosanbosch.com+1
Participants start with a retreat day focusing on inner work, then move into dialogues and shared experiences.
Purpose & uniqueness
The event creates a space for educators who believe “humanity is at the heart of education” and feel that this dimension is missing in most PD and in daily school life.
Organizers emphasize that while Latin America has many events on AI, technology, curriculum and testing, almost nothing exists specifically for human development and inner life in education, which is why HumanEdu was born. humanedu.org
Atmosphere & practices
Photos shown in the stream highlight circles, nature walks, meditation-like moments, and emotional sharing rather than lectures.
HumanEdu is described as joyful, emotional, and “magical”: when people who share similar values gather and speak from the heart, something powerful happens.
2. Why human-centered education matters now
Each guest offers a different angle:
Leandro – inner work of educators & authenticity
“You can’t pour from an empty cup”: before talking about students’ well-being, we must attend to the inner work of teachers.
Students connect much more with who we are than with what we know. Authenticity is non-negotiable: if we don’t work on ourselves, we project our fears and unresolved issues onto students.
Dani – missing space for love, courage, and joy
He is surprised schools often have no explicit space to talk about love, bravery, joy, being a good person—exactly the topics teenagers are hungry to discuss.
If we say we want students to be happy and fulfilled, schools must give them tools to find joy and create spaces where those conversations are normal, not an exception.
Juan – inner world & the age of AI
Curricula worldwide were built to help students understand the external world through subjects.
But to find your place in that world and set direction—why you’re here, how you want to contribute—you must understand who you are. That “inner world” is largely missing from school.
With AI now taking over many tasks, the role of education must increasingly be to explore what is uniquely and irreducibly human—qualities that cannot be automated.
He warns that the problem is not only AI becoming more human-like, but humans becoming more machine-like: in routines, emotional numbness, and mechanical expectations.
3. How do we actually “educate the human”?
The conversation goes very concrete here.
a) Safe spaces (not “sacred”)
Dani talks about creating “safe spaces” where students (and adults) can:
Talk seriously about life: how they are, what is happening in their lives
Share feelings about failure, fear, joy, relationships, meaning
These spaces work only if:
They are regular and predictable (for example, weekly), not a “one-off special activity”.
There is a culture in the school: students expect that space and trust it.
There is a quiet, listening atmosphere where people can speak from the heart.
b) Embodied, sensory transitions
Leandro explains how they help students move from “academic headspace” into “inner space”:
Students might lie down on the floor, practice a few minutes of silence and breathing, or listen to a beautiful song (sometimes played live by a student).
They may light a candle, use a pleasant scent, dim the lights, stretch, and always sit in a circle so everyone can see each other.
The idea is to slow down the inertia and speed of school life and make it clear:
“We’re no longer in ‘normal school mode’; we’re entering the inner realm.”
This is closely aligned with contemplative practices increasingly used in schools worldwide (simple meditation, breathing, mindfulness). artofliving.app+1
c) Teachers as mirrors and role models
Teachers need to model vulnerability: share their own doubts, fears, joys, and personal stories so students see what genuine openness looks like.
They also serve as mirrors, giving honest and loving feedback about how a student’s actions impact others.
Leandro emphasizes being aware of the “inner voices” that appear when he enters a classroom (am I good enough? fun enough? caring enough?) and not unconsciously projecting those onto students.
d) The classroom as “technology”
Juan brings in Eleanor Duckworth’s idea of the “having of wonderful ideas” and asks: what kind of space invites wonderful experiences? Wikipedia+1
The physical room is itself a “technology”: how chairs are arranged, the state of the walls, the level of care in the environment.
If the classroom looks chaotic or neglected, it’s hard for students to feel that something precious is happening there.
Any teacher—of math, history, science—can intentionally design the room to signal that something of high value is taking place.
4. Error, self-image, and reflection
The group critiques the results-obsessed culture of schooling:
Traditional school culture tends to punish mistakes (with grades, failure labels), rather than frame them as part of learning.
Over time, students internalize messages like:
“I am a failure.”
“I’m not good at learning.”
What’s missing is a systematic practice of asking:
“What did you discover about yourself while you were learning this subject?”
Example: a student who struggles with math might discover that frustration triggers anger. That pattern will appear in many areas of life, not only in math—unless we create space to reflect and transform it.
The message: we’re producing subject-competent but self-illiterate students if we don’t explicitly work on this inner reflection.
5. The inner journeys of the speakers
Each person shares a short autobiographical “awakening”:
Dani – Parkinson’s and radical openness
He has lived with Parkinson’s disease for about 15 years.
In the first year after diagnosis, he went into his emotional intelligence class without telling students. They felt “something in the air”: he had no defenses left and spoke directly from his heart.
His key insight: when you speak from the heart, you create true community—heart-to-heart communication—despite (or thanks to) vulnerability.
Juan – discovering meditation and wondering why school ignores it
In his 20s he joined a breathing and meditation program (connected to the Art of Living style of practices). artofliving.app+1
He experienced a level of calm, presence and creativity he had never noticed before.
He left asking: “Why has nobody taught me this in school?”
That question led him into education: teaching contemplative practices in schools and advocating for including them as core learning experiences, not extras.
Leandro – leaving economics for teaching
He studied economics and worked 10 years in the private sector, “playing the game” successfully but feeling deeply unfulfilled.
Becoming a father triggered a crisis: he imagined dying suddenly and realizing he had not lived authentically.
Through a conversation with Dani, he was invited to teach at St. Andrew’s Scots School and eventually to co-lead inner work spaces there. Facebook
He gave up a safer corporate path to feel truly alive: connected to students, to himself, and to work that aligns with his values.
Gabriel – leadership and resisting ego
For him it was a gradual, not epiphanic shift.
Serving in senior leadership roles in large schools forced him into countless difficult conversations and exposed him to the danger of identifying with the role rather than the person.
That tension pushed him toward more introspection, empathy, and compassion, and to the realization that relationships and human growth matter more than academic prestige or institutional status.
They all converge on the idea that you can’t teach what you haven’t worked on inside yourself—hence the importance of adult inner work.
6. System change and hope
Juan notes that these conversations are happening everywhere: among policymakers, principals, teachers, parents, and students.
The problem is not lack of awareness but systemic inertia and the difficulty of transforming large structures.
Still, gatherings like HumanEdu reveal that the “glass is half full”: there are many more people than we think who are ready for a new kind of education centered on humanity.
7. Final invitation to HumanEdu
The segment ends with an open invitation:
HumanEdu is framed as a transformative experience:
You come to reconnect with your purpose, your joy, and your humanity as an educator.
You leave changed, more attuned to “magic” and joy, and aware that you are not alone.
Dani describes it as learning “how to live with magic”: discovering how to intentionally create joy and depth when people gather and speak from the heart.
Gabriel closes by saying that no one leaves HumanEdu as the same person who arrived; the event expands your sensitivity and consciousness, and strengthens a network of like-hearted educators.
2. Key entities mentioned & useful URLs
Event & initiative
24h for Change in Education – 24-hour global livestream on World Children’s Day where this Argentina segment appears.
Official site: https://24hforchange.education 24hforchange.education
Streamed via The Learnerspace YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thelearnerspace/live 24hforchange.education
HumanEdu / Humano Edu – 3-day gathering/retreat for educators focused on human development, held at The Garzón School (Pueblo Garzón, Uruguay).
Official website: https://humanedu.org humanedu.org
Schools & places
The Garzón School (Colegio Garzón) – innovative rural school in Pueblo Garzón, Uruguay; host of HumanEdu 2024.
Official website: https://thegarzonschool.edu.uy LinkedIn+1
St. Andrew’s Scots School (St. Andrew’s, Buenos Aires) – bilingual K-12 school in Argentina where Leandro and Dani work.
Official website: https://www.sanandres.esc.edu.ar Facebook
Pueblo Garzón / Punta del Este region (Uruguay) – rural area and coastal region where The Garzón School and HumanEdu are based. rosanbosch.com
People & references
Juan Mora y Araujo – Argentine education consultant; has worked in education policy and environmental/regenerative education, including roles with Argentina’s Ministry of Environment. educacion.jujuy.gob.ar
Eleanor Duckworth – Harvard educator whose book “The Having of Wonderful Ideas” and Other Essays on Teaching and Learning inspired Juan’s remarks about designing spaces that invite deep experiences. Wikipedia+1
Ralph Waldo Emerson – 19th-century writer and philosopher; quoted in the segment (“Who you are speaks so loudly that I cannot hear who you say you are.”). Sri Sri Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd.
Joseph Campbell – mythologist referenced by Leandro (“leap of faith”) in relation to personal transformation.
Art of Living–style breathing/meditation programs – Juan’s formative experience was with structured breathing and meditation practices similar to those popularized by the Art of Living Foundation, a global NGO teaching breathing-based self-development programs. artofliving.app+1
Hawaii – Closing Segment Summary
In this final segment, Hawaii “closes the circle” of 24h for Change in Education. Gabriel introduces Susanna (Susannah) Johnson, highlighting Hawaii as a place of ancestral cultures, powerful nature, and deep educational wisdom. Susanna then offers a narrative, reflective synthesis of the whole 24 hours from a Hawaiian/indigenous, strengths-based lens.
Key themes she weaves together:
Education as human development, not content delivery.
Schools should be in the “business of human development”: cultivating kind, purposeful, responsible humans rather than chasing test scores or content coverage.
Gifts, strengths and Aloha.
Through the story of Auntie Pua and a student who finally names his gift as spearfishing, Susanna stresses that every learner has gifts that may not fit traditional school categories. Hawaiian concepts such as aloha, ha (breath/well-being) and pilina (relationships) frame education as honoring each person’s gifts and community strengths.
Global competencies over grades.
She connects what was heard across all segments—well-being, honoring place and culture, technology used humanely, strong family involvement, real-world and solutionary projects, learner-owned journeys—with global competence frameworks:
investigating the world,
appreciating multiple perspectives,
communicating across cultures,
and taking action for collective well-being and sustainability. HT Hayashi Foundation
Four core global capacities.
From her research she highlights four essential, future-relevant capacities:
Critical thinking (before, during and after using AI),
Compassion (the biggest current deficit, in her view),
Curiosity (protecting it instead of “schooling it out”),
Adaptability (being able to keep learning as the world changes).
AI as an amplifier of human purpose.
Susanna explicitly cites AI as a powerful enabler when anchored in ethics and humanity, and even shows Gabriel’s AI-in-schools books as practical, ethical guides for educators using AI in K-12. Institute for Humane Education+1
She stresses that AI doesn’t replace us, but people who know how to use it may replace those who don’t.
Hawaii as a living ecosystem of educational change.
She describes:
A single statewide system of public schools plus strong charter and independent-school networks that intentionally collaborate.
Schools of the Future Conference and Hawai‘i Society for Technology in Education (HSTE) as key convenings where educators connect around innovation and technology. ppshi.org
Deep community partnerships with local businesses and organizations, including land- and ocean-based projects such as restoring ancient fishponds, to address food security and climate challenges.
Solutionary, place-based projects.
Drawing on work with the Institute for Humane Education’s “solutionary” framework, she shares examples of student projects in Hawaii that tackle real issues (school climate, community needs, SDGs) through research, empathy, systems thinking, and action—showing that even primary students can design meaningful solutions. Institute for Humane Education
Youth philanthropy and re-defining wealth.
The Hawai‘i Center for Youth Philanthropy invites young people to define what “value, worth and wealth” mean in their own communities and to direct funding towards locally defined needs—grounded in Hawaiian values and seven-generation thinking. YSH complete site
Mission as keel, not anchor.
For schools, a mission should be a keel (balancing and guiding forward movement) rather than an anchor that keeps them tied to outdated models. She urges leaders to re-examine their mission and ensure it supports bold, humane innovation instead of blocking it.
Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Her closing message: this is a decade of disruption, but disruption can yield great art, ideas, and systems. Educators must learn to live with rapid change, embrace “I don’t know,” and shift from gatekeepers of knowledge to guardians of critical thinking and hope.
Practical closing invitation.
When things feel stuck—faculty tensions, hard days, frustrated students—go outside, look at the land/sky/ocean, breathe, reconnect with each other, and imagine better possibilities… then act. She thanks all educators involved and Gabriel for holding the global space, framing this “ending” as really just the beginning.
Key Entities
People
Susanna / Susannah Johnson – Hawaii-based educator and global consultant on individualized learning, global competencies, and humane, solutionary education.
Gabriel Rshaid – Host of 24h for Change in Education, author on AI in schools and educational innovation.
Auntie Pua Burgess – Late Hawaiian elder, educator and storyteller whose “gifts and strengths” story anchors the segment’s message.
Shay (Institute for Humane Education) – Educator working on SEL and humane education, referenced for previous work in the event. Institute for Humane Education
Herb Lee Jr. – Leader in restoring traditional Hawaiian fishponds and cultural/ecological education. YSH complete site
Jay McGonigal (Jane McGonigal) – Futurist and author of Imaginable, cited as inspiration for future-thinking and scenario planning. Instagram
Organizations & Initiatives
24h for Change in Education – The 24-hour global livestream event this segment concludes. Instagram
Institute for Humane Education (IHE) – Provides “solutionary” frameworks, PD and micro-credentials for humane, purpose-driven, project-based learning. Institute for Humane Education
Hawai‘i Center for Youth Philanthropy (HCYP) – Youth-led philanthropic initiative in Hawaii focusing on community-defined needs and values. YSH complete site
Schools of the Future Conference (Hawai‘i) – Annual innovation conference co-organized by Hawai‘i Association of Independent Schools and partners, bringing together thousands of educators. ppshi.org
Hawai‘i Society for Technology in Education (HSTE) – Statewide ISTE affiliate supporting effective ed-tech use in Hawaii. ppshi.org
What School Could Be – Global network and media platform highlighting innovative schools and future-focused learning. 24hforchange.education
Getting Smart – Education media and consulting organization whose podcast episode on future-ready skills is referenced. hais.us
OECD / PISA Global Competence Framework – International framework for global competence, used to connect the segment to global evidence and policy. HT Hayashi Foundation
Key Concepts / Frameworks
Human development as the core purpose of schooling
Individualized and personalized learning (learner-owned journeys)
Global competencies & global skills (critical thinking, compassion, curiosity, adaptability)
Aloha, ha (breath/well-being), pilina (relationships)
Solutionary projects, SDGs-aligned education, humane education
Youth philanthropy & community-defined wealth
AI as ethical amplifier of human creativity and purpose
Mission as keel (guiding) vs. anchor (holding back)
Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable; decade of disruption
Relevant URLs
Event & Video
24h for Change in Education – Hawaii segment (YouTube):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw2qqjkUywQ
Main Learnerspace YouTube channel (24h for Change livestream hub): Instagram
https://www.youtube.com/@thelearnerspace/live
Referenced / Underlying Resources
Institute for Humane Education – Solutionary framework, courses and resources: Institute for Humane Education
https://humaneeducation.org/
What School Could Be – Stories and videos on innovative schools: 24hforchange.education
https://www.whatschoolcouldbe.org/
Getting Smart – Podcast and articles on future-ready skills: hais.us
https://www.gettingsmart.com/
OECD Global Competence / PISA framework: HT Hayashi Foundation
https://www.oecd.org/education/global-competence-for-an-inclusive-world.htm
Schools of the Future Conference (Hawai‘i): ppshi.org
https://ppshi.org/events/2022-schools-of-the-future-conference/
Hawai‘i Center for Youth Philanthropy (via Hawai‘i Community Foundation): YSH complete site
https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/
Imaginable by Jane McGonigal – Future-thinking and scenarios: Instagram
Publisher/book info page (example): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/657674/imaginable-by-jane-mcgonigal/
Brains International School La Moraleja (Madrid) – 24h for Change in Education
Theme: Entrepreneurship as a life mindset + strategic thinking + student voice on technology
1. School / organization
Brains International School La Moraleja (Madrid, Spain) – part of the Brains International Schools group, a private K-12 network in Spain offering bilingual and international education with a strong emphasis on global citizenship and personal development. (colegiobrains.com)
Segment language: Spanish + English.
Segment host on your side: Gabriel Rshaid.
School leadership present in the segment: Baky Morín, head of school.
2. Main initiatives and stories showcased
A. Entrepreneurship as an ecosystem, not a subject
Speaker: Carlos, teacher of Economics, Business & Management, and Entrepreneurship.
Key ideas:
Entrepreneurship at Brains is framed not as “creating companies” but as a way of facing life:
“I am not a spectator, I can be a creator.”
Students learn to imagine boldly, experiment, fail with intention, reflect, and restart.
The school has built an “entrepreneurship ecosystem” rather than a standalone class:
Core competencies developed:
Creativity and opportunity-seeking
Critical thinking and questioning the status quo
Communication with purpose
Teamwork and collaboration
Leadership and the ability to inspire
Resilience & adaptability to uncertainty
Problem-solving and strategic decision-making
Experiential structures:
Pitch days and “entrepreneurship leagues”
School fairs and innovation challenges
Mentoring by real entrepreneurs and professionals
Investor rounds where students defend ideas to potential backers
Carlos stresses that the goal isn’t to imitate entrepreneurs but to experience an entrepreneurial mindset, so that in real life students are better prepared for ambiguity, transitions, rejections and “moments where no one tells them what to do.”
B. “The Way of Makers” / To Global Makers – strategic thinking lab
They present an extracurricular entrepreneurial lab:
Name in the segment: The Way of Makers (TWM) and To Global Makers (used somewhat interchangeably).
Purpose: a serious after-school program for students who want “more challenge, more depth, more creation.”
Format:
Students (14–18) work individually or in teams of 3–5.
They develop a real product or service plus a full go-to-market strategy.
The program is online and project-based, using a professional SaaS strategy platform.
The platform guides students through ~15 strategy tools, e.g.:
Problem / solution definition
Market segments & size, insights and environment
Competitors & positioning, ecosystem
Value proposition and portfolio
Buyers and business model
Distribution channels
SWOT / STEEPLE style analysis, strategic vision, action plan and KPIs
Culmination:
International pitch competition with jury and prizes.
Students gain networking opportunities and exposure to “real world” standards.
The founder & CEO (named in the transcript as Ruvener Bas) frames a “maker” as:
A creator of value for society, an innovator, a job creator and a wealth generator; someone who “moves the world forward”.
The message to students:
“Here we don’t memorize, we build.”
C. Student success story – NBA Kids entrepreneurship competition
Students Nuria and Carlota share their journey in the NBA Kids Entrepreneurship Competition:
They formed a team that:
Won the Madrid phase.
Advanced to the Spanish national finals with teams from all autonomous communities.
Personal impacts they highlight:
Gaining confidence in public speaking from debating club → invitation to join the team.
Learning to:
Create and pivot a business plan when the first idea was discarded.
Work under time pressure (deadlines plus academic work).
Present to large audiences outside school.
Discovering that they can:
Handle uncertainty.
Collaborate across merged teams.
Interact with real business professionals and investors.
For them, the key isn’t just the prize, but the realization:
“We did something real. We are capable.”
D. Student-built cafeteria pre-order platform
Another student team presents a web/app to reserve cafeteria sandwiches:
Problem they identified:
Long queues
Wasted time
Over-production and food waste (unused sandwiches).
Solution:
A website where students log in with their school Google account, pre-order their sandwich for the next day within a set time window.
The cafeteria can:
Prepare exactly the right quantity.
Reduce food waste and better manage ingredients.
Features:
Product catalogue (sandwiches, pizza, snacks, etc.)
Multilingual interface (Spanish, English, Chinese) to reflect Brains’ international profile.
Tech stack:
Initial prototype in App Inventor.
Later version coded in JavaScript with some Python, developed in VS Code.
They also note that the same logic could be scaled to other businesses (takeaway, cafeterias, etc.).
E. Student manifesto on responsible technology & AI
A student group presents a “Manifesto for the Responsible Use of Technology” that they want to apply in their school and share more widely.
Context:
They reference policies in the Community of Madrid that have moved towards banning mobile phones and personal devices in public schools, a trend seen in Spain’s national debate on phones and screens in schools. (El País)
Their position:
They disagree with blanket bans and argue that:
Digital competence is now essential for life and work.
The same system that demands digital competence cannot simultaneously block meaningful use of technology in learning.
The manifesto is structured around three pillars:
What we want – from families, schools and authorities (balanced, pedagogical use of tech; not prohibition).
What we commit to – student commitments for responsible, ethical and creative use of technology and AI.
Our responsibilities – using tech to augment learning, not replace thinking or creativity.
Working process:
They used hexagonal thinking to map pros and cons of technology.
They emphasize:
Avoiding loss of creativity through over-reliance on AI.
Building a healthy digital culture between students, school, families and society.
Reducing the digital divide: differences between young people who know how to use technology and those who do not.
The core message:
Students want to be protagonists in decisions about technology in education, not just passive recipients of adult-made rules.
3. Why this segment matters for “24h for Change in Education”
Shows a concrete, systemic model of entrepreneurship education that:
Starts early,
Extends beyond curriculum into ecosystems and labs,
Connects directly with markets, investors, real problems and tools.
Demonstrates how student agency + professional-grade tools can turn schools into launchpads rather than just classrooms.
Adds an important voice on AI and digital policy: banning devices vs. building critical, ethical, creative digital competence, led in part by students themselves.
4. Entities mentioned (for later tagging / indexing)
Schools & organizations
Brains International School La Moraleja (Brains International Schools, Madrid, Spain) (colegiobrains.com)
To Global Makers / The Way of Makers (TWM) – entrepreneurial after-school program and SaaS platform.
People
Baky Morín – Head of Brains International School La Moraleja.
Carlos – Economics, Business, Management & Entrepreneurship teacher.
Nuria – student, NBA Kids competition.
Carlota – student, NBA Kids competition.
Aras – student mentioned as part of the NBA Kids team.
Raman – student, cafeteria website programmer.
Ricardo – student, cafeteria project.
Ruvener Bas – founder & CEO presenting To Global Makers / TWM.
Programs / competitions / tools
Entrepreneurship ecosystem at Brains (subject + ecosystem).
The Way of Makers / To Global Makers – strategic thinking & entrepreneurship lab.
NBA Kids Entrepreneurship Competition (Spain).
Cafeteria sandwich pre-order platform (student project).
Manifesto for the Responsible Use of Technology (student-led).
Tools/frameworks referenced: SWOT, STEEPLE, business model canvas-type structures, KPIs, strategic vision, etc.
5. Key URLs (for your reference)
24h for Change in Education – Spain segment (Brains International School, Madrid)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kK-x0FYZfc
Brains International School La Moraleja – official campus page
https://www.colegiobrains.com/brains-international-school-la-moraleja/
Brains International Schools – general info (LinkedIn)
https://www.linkedin.com/school/brains-international-schools/
Forbes article on Colegio Brains (context on the group)
https://forbes.es/lideres/87962/the-school-of-life-colegio-brains/
If you’d like, I can now turn this into a 2–3 sentence speaker blurb or a short “segment description” for your website or schedule.
Brains International Schools (network)
Main site: https://www.colegiobrains.com Brains International Schools
Brains International School La Moraleja (the specific campus in the stream)
Campus page: https://www.colegiobrains.com/colegios/la-moraleja/
24h for Change in Education – Spain livestream
YouTube stream (the one you shared):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kK-x0FYZfc
TWM / TUM Global Makers program (entrepreneurship / strategy tool mentioned)
I wasn’t able to find a clearly identifiable public landing page for the exact “TWM Global Makers” / “TUM Global Makers” program as described in the talk (with the same wording and slogan) — it may be running on a closed / internal platform or under a slightly different public brand name, so I prefer not to guess and give you a wrong URL.
NBA Kids entrepreneurship competition (Spain)
I also couldn’t find a definitive official site specifically for the “NBA Kids” entrepreneurship competition referred to here; search results mix it with general NBA Kids / Junior NBA content and unrelated entrepreneurship programs, so again I’d rather not invent a URL.
If you want, I can next try to track down URLs for:
The Brains debating club (if they have a page)
Any public pages about the manifesto for responsible tech use they mention (could appear later on the Brains site or social networks)
Extended summary – American School of Dubai segment (UAE)
This segment showcases how the American School of Dubai (ASD) uses a whole-school food design program to teach sustainability, science, culture and life skills through hands-on experiences from age 3 to 18. (American School of Dubai)
1. The Food Design Program at ASD
ASD has invested in a dedicated Food Design teacher who works with students from Pre-K (3-year-olds) through Grade 12, integrating food, environment, and wellbeing into the curriculum.
Learning happens in three main spaces:
A sustainable school garden, where every plant is planted by students.
A teaching kitchen used by all grades to cook, experiment and even dye fabrics.
An on-campus apiary (bee hives) that second, sixth, and ninth graders visit as part of their learning on ecosystems, pollination, and sustainability.
The philosophy: “Include all, engage all, inspire all, nurture all” by getting students out of the classroom, “dirty” in the garden, cooking in the kitchen, and interacting with bees, soil and experts.
The school also runs a community compost program, where students are responsible for maintaining the compost that feeds the garden, closing the loop between food scraps and soil.
2. “Seed to Table” – Week Without Walls (Grade 7–8)
During the 24h for Change segment, ASD is in the middle of its Week Without Walls experience called “Seed to Table” for 7th and 8th graders. Students spend the week almost entirely outside conventional classrooms.
They are organized into three symbolic teams:
Seeds – beginning, potential and the origin of food.
Leaves – growth, nurturing and sustainability.
Community Table – sharing meals, celebration and community.
Throughout the week, students participate in a sequence of immersive experiences designed around experiential learning, sustainability and food systems.
3. Day 1 – Michelin-level cooking & creativity (Chef Magnus, Food Nation)
On Day 1, students work with Chef Magnus from Food Nation, a UAE-based organization that promotes sustainable food systems and plant-rich diets. (UNS Farms)
Key elements:
Chef Magnus runs a garden-to-kitchen workshop:
Students harvest ingredients (e.g. herbs) and transform them in the kitchen.
They prepare components like basil oil and vinaigrettes, thinking about how flavors combine in each bite.
He emphasizes:
Plating as part of flavor design – how where you place sauces and garnishes changes which flavors you get in each mouthful.
Zero-waste cooking – using all parts of ingredients, even “failed” elements, instead of throwing them away.
Science of cooking – for example:
Extracting and preserving green color and flavor by blanching herbs then shocking them in ice water, linking cooking to chlorophyll and photosynthesis.
Student takeaways:
Presentation and plating are not just “decoration”; they determine how flavors are experienced.
Professional chefs can be both highly creative and rigorously sustainable, inspiring students to see cooking as science, art and environmental action at once.
Working with a Michelin-level chef raises their sense of possibility for food-related careers and deepens respect for culinary expertise.
4. Day 2 – Seeds, Tulsi, vertical farming & soil
Day 2 focuses on seeds and growing systems, blending botany, culture, climate and soil science.
4.1 Tulsi (Holy Basil) – culture, medicine and ritual
A herbalist visits to teach about Tulsi (holy basil):
Medicinal properties – used as herbal medicine and tea; students taste Tulsi tea, harvest leaves, and plant seeds.
Cultural and spiritual significance – especially in Hindu tradition:
Tulsi plants are kept at home to “wash away bad spirits” and purify spaces.
Ethical harvesting – students are asked to “ask the plant” before harvesting, embedding respect for living systems.
Students report:
A deeper understanding of how one plant can be central to health, religion, and daily life in many cultures.
A sense of specialness when they harvest and drink Tulsi from the garden, recognizing that this is a natural, non-industrial medicine.
4.2 UNS vertical farm – food in a desert climate
Students visit the UNS vertical farm, a commercial indoor farm near the school. UNS Farms operates one of Dubai’s largest vertical farming facilities, producing up to 1,500 kg of fresh produce per day using hydroponics and up to 90% less water than conventional agriculture. (iGrow News)
Key learnings:
In the UAE’s harsh desert climate, food can still be grown locally using:
Soilless systems (hydroponics with paper/foam substrates).
Vertical racks and controlled environments, allowing faster, more efficient growth.
Students taste a range of microgreens and edible flowers, including:
Buzz buttons (Szechuan buttons) – causing intense tingling, numbing and “pop rock” sensations on the tongue.
Chocolate mint, lemon mint, purple basil, and sweet corn microgreens that taste surprisingly intense.
Impact on students:
They realize how technology, climate constraints and sustainability intersect in local food systems.
Many are surprised that so much flavor can come from tiny leaves grown indoors only minutes away from school.
4.3 Soil, compost and mini-gardens – led by high-schoolers
Back at school, a high-school SENA/CENA environmental group runs a Project Green Challenge workshop for the younger students:
They learn that soil types differ and that in Dubai’s mostly sandy soil, you must mix:
Sand (to avoid waterlogging in a scarce-water context),
Soil,
And a small proportion of compost, because too much can “burn” plants.
Students design and plant their own mini-gardens, choosing seeds and mixing soil, sand and compost themselves.
This peer-to-peer teaching:
Models student leadership and mentorship.
Reinforces that healthy soil is fundamental to healthy food, connecting composting, water conservation and plant nutrition.
Students emerge with a stronger sense that growing food is labor-, time- and care-intensive, and that respect for farmers and the earth should follow from that understanding.
5. Day 3 – Fermentation, sourdough and gut health
Day 3 centers on fermentation and microbiology through a workshop with baker Sven, who specializes in sourdough bread.
Key scientific and health concepts:
Long fermentation (around 48 hours) breaks down complex compounds and “bad” or hard-to-digest components in flour, leaving beneficial bacteria that:
Improve digestibility,
Support gut health, and
Enhance nutrient absorption.
Students connect this to prior science lessons where they studied sourdough under microscopes: yeast and bacteria as living organisms.
Practical experience:
Students make and eat sourdough breakfast pizzas from naturally fermented dough.
Many notice they feel:
Full but “light”, not bloated or sleepy,
Able to stay active after eating, unlike with heavily processed white bread.
Sven also discusses:
The idea of balanced diets (it’s okay to have some “unhealthy” foods if overall eating patterns are good).
The message that “good things take time” – both fermentation and sustainable food systems require patience and long-term thinking.
6. Art, design and the aesthetics of sustainability
Students also participate in a ceramics project, creating bowls or plates that could be used for serving food:
They learn that clay, like sourdough, requires time (drying, firing, glazing).
The teacher connects this to plating and restaurant design:
Just as chefs think about color, shape and composition on the plate, designers think about plates, tables, walls and ceilings as expressions of a restaurant’s values and message.
This reinforces that sustainability isn’t only in ingredients; it can be embedded in materials, décor, tableware and the entire dining experience.
7. Fine dining as a systems model – Michelin Green Star restaurant
To show a real-world example of everything they’re learning, students visit a Michelin Green Star sustainable restaurant in Dubai (referred to in the transcript as “Table”, and closely aligned with venues like Teible, a Dubai restaurant known for its hyper-local, seasonal, fermented and low-waste approach). (MICHELIN Guide)
What they observe:
Local sourcing & on-site herb garden:
Herbs and greens are grown right next to the restaurant and used fresh in dishes.
Zero-waste philosophy:
Trimmings and peels (e.g. tomato skins, beef offcuts) are fermented and transformed into new products like vinegars, umami marinades and salad garnishes.
Extensive fermentation program:
Shelves of jars containing vinegars, pickles and ferments,
House-made kombuchas and other fermented drinks.
Sustainable materials and design:
Ceilings and walls made from upcycled materials such as date palm bark.
The design gives a natural, cohesive aesthetic where color palettes (even the lemonade) match the décor, signaling intention in every detail.
Students notice:
How every decision – from wall materials to plate garnishes – reflects an integrated sustainability mindset.
That fermentation and low-waste practices can be not just “eco-friendly” but also creative, delicious and beautiful in a fine-dining context.
8. Impact on students – skills, habits and identity
Throughout the week, students repeatedly reflect on what they’re learning:
Skills they highlight:
Teamwork & responsibility – cooking together, cleaning up, respecting spaces and tools.
Problem-solving & creativity – adapting when something “fails” in the kitchen or garden; adjusting soil mixes; improvising plating.
Confidence & life skills – many say they now feel comfortable cooking for others at home.
Respect for nature & food – understanding how much labor, time and resources go into every bite.
Why experiential learning “sticks” more:
They contrast hands-on experiences with worksheets:
You can’t really learn plating, fermentation, soil texture or the feel of buzz buttons from a textbook; you need to touch, taste, see and do.
Sensory memories (colors, textures, flavors, social moments) make the learning memorable and emotional, not just cognitive.
Changes in habits & outlook:
Many plan to:
Cook for their families using new techniques and recipes.
Be more mindful of gut health, whole grains and fermented foods.
Drink more Tulsi tea and use herbs for wellbeing.
They express a desire to keep learning and “go deeper” into cooking, gardening, sustainability and environmental stewardship.
9. How this fits into 24h for Change in Education
Within 24h for Change in Education, this segment demonstrates:
How a K–12 school in Dubai is transforming learning through edible education, connecting:
Science (microbiology, photosynthesis, soil science),
Sustainability and climate realities of the UAE,
Culture and tradition (Tulsi, rituals, food heritage),
Health and wellbeing (gut health, whole grains),
Creativity and design (plating, ceramics, restaurant aesthetics),
And student leadership (high-schoolers teaching younger students).
It offers a replicable model for schools worldwide: using gardens, kitchens, bees and partnerships with local farms/restaurants as powerful “classrooms” for systemic learning.
Key entities & URLs
Event & video
24h for Change in Education (global livestream) – main site for the 24-hour event. (24h for Change)
Website: https://24hforchange.education
Segment video – UAE / American School of Dubai
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjo6spPUQmA
The Learnerspace – YouTube live channel (event stream host)
YouTube Live: https://www.youtube.com/@thelearnerspace/live
School & core program
American School of Dubai (ASD) – independent, not-for-profit K–12 school in Dubai, UAE, offering an American curriculum. (American School of Dubai)
Website: https://www.asdubai.org
ASD food design / edible education program – integrated K–12 program (garden, kitchen, apiary, compost, sustainability); details via ASD’s site and communications. (American School of Dubai)
Partners & places
Food Nation – UAE-based initiative where Chef Magnus works, focusing on sustainable food systems, culinary education and plant-rich diets. (UNS Farms)
Website: https://foodnationme.com
UNS Farms – vertical farming company operating one of Dubai’s largest commercial hydroponic farms, producing microgreens, edible flowers and leafy greens with sharply reduced water use. (iGrow News)
Website: https://unsfarms.com
Teible / “Table” (Michelin Green Star sustainable restaurant, Dubai) – farm-to-table restaurant known for local sourcing, seasonal menus and extensive use of fermented and preserved ingredients. (MICHELIN Guide)
Website: https://www.teible.com
If you’d like, I can now turn this into a shorter, “web-ready” summary (e.g., 2–3 paragraphs) for the 24h for Change site, or a caption + blurb for social media.
Ultra-short summary
Sam and Leona (The Garzón School, Uruguay) and Chris (Imagination Lab School, Palo Alto) talk about what it really takes to found and run innovative, human-centred schools: how to attract and “educate” families, how to stay authentic while still preparing students for exams and university, how teachers can innovate even inside very traditional systems, and how to use AI as a tool that amplifies human relationships and critical thinking rather than replacing them.
1. What each school is doing
The Garzón School (Uruguay – Sam & Leona)
Intentionally small, deeply community-based school in rural Garzón / Punta del Este, Uruguay, focused on authenticity, purpose and meaningful relationships.uy.linkedin.com
Opened in 2022 in a very modest setting (a former small hotel with almost no sports space). That forced them to sharpen pedagogy and values instead of “selling” facilities.
Early families were true early adopters: they chose the school despite limited infrastructure because they resonated with the mission. Those “founders” are still with them and are the strongest ambassadors.
Imagination Lab School (Palo Alto – Chris)
Progressive K–8 school in Silicon Valley, founded after Chris’ experience with AltSchool, with a strong focus on honoring childhood, personalizing learning and treating adults as learners too.Wikipedia
Opened with 12 students and 7 educators in one of the most saturated school markets in the US. Parents had many “top” options, but chose ILS because of culture and community, not campus or rankings.
Big tension they see in parents:
Heart: “I want something different, authentic, student-centred.”
Head: “Grades, SATs, brand-name universities worked for me; maybe we shouldn’t risk it.”
2. Key ideas from the conversation
A. Building a school that “defies conventional wisdom”
Both schools are deliberately not trying to be everything to everyone.
If a family is obsessed with letter grades, class rank and heaps of homework, they are honest: “We’re probably not the right school for you.”
They look for families who care more about:
Their child’s love of learning
Sense of purpose and impact
Emotional wellbeing and relationships
B. How they persuade parents this is quality education
Show real impact quickly.
Garzón parents report that within two weeks their children “fall in love with learning again” and come home different – more engaged, happier, more curious. Those stories spread far more powerfully than any brochure.
Bridge idealism and realism.
They keep a clear stance on exams: they dislike an exam-driven culture, but they won’t deny a kid access to university if that’s their chosen path.
So they intentionally teach the “game of school” in later years: working with tests, academic formats, etc., without letting that define the whole experience.
Make the purpose of education explicit in admissions.
In interviews, they push parents to think beyond grades:
What kind of human do you want your child to become?
How should they find purpose and contribute to the world?
For many families, the real priority is: “I want them to know who they are and how to add value,” and the schools keep circling back to that.
C. Pathways: transcripts, diplomas and life after school
Garzón is implementing:
Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC): a competency-based transcript that showcases skills, evidence and projects instead of a list of grades.Julie Lythcott-Haims
Global Impact Diploma: a project- and impact-based high-school diploma focusing on internships, leadership and real-world change.cdn.ishavana.org
The idea: graduating students don’t just have marks; they carry a portfolio of who they are – research, critical thinking, collaboration, impact in the community.
Chris adds that universities are increasingly looking for “value add” – not just perfect scores but evidence of initiative, projects and community involvement.
D. Advice for teachers in traditional schools
For the 95% of educators who aren’t in an experimental school:
Do something different on Monday.
Add a mindful minute before a test.
Start each lesson with a 5-minute student-chosen current-events discussion.
Turn one textbook exercise into a mini-project or real-life problem.
Use the national curriculum, not the textbook, as your anchor.
Textbooks are just one publisher’s interpretation of the standards.
Keep the learning goals, but redesign the activity: take it outside, connect it to students’ context, let them investigate rather than only copy answers.
Find allies.
Even in rigid systems, there’s almost always a 5–10% of colleagues who want to innovate. Form a micro-team to try things together, support each other and speak with a louder voice.
Be radically authentic.
Students need to see adults who show up as real people, with humour, doubts, passions and values.
If we want them to bring their whole selves, we have to model that, regardless of system constraints.
E. AI and the future of learning
All three are cautiously optimistic and very human-centred:
AI as amplifier, not replacement.
Leona’s example: students doing a 360° review of themselves as learners (surveys sent to peers, parents, teachers). AI can help analyse the huge qualitative dataset, but the questions, relationships and interpretation stay profoundly human.
Learn from the smartphone/social-media mistake.
Sam warns: with phones and social media, we let the tech spread first and asked critical questions later. With AI, we need to build critical, participatory use from the start, not passive consumption.
Many AIs, many uses.
Chris stresses there isn’t “one AI”; there are many tools, just like we say “language arts” or “maths”.
Good uses:
Drafting and then editing narrative reports to save teachers dozens of hours while keeping human judgment and voice.
Helping students handle large datasets, brainstorm, or explore ideas faster.
Bad use: outsourcing the thinking and creativity entirely to the tool. If AI is used to finish the work for you, the human learning disappears.
3. Main entities and useful URLs
Schools & organisations
The Garzón School – innovative, human-centred school near Garzón / Punta del Este, Uruguay
https://thegarzonschool.edu.uy uy.linkedin.com
Imagination Lab School – progressive K–8 school in Palo Alto, California, focusing on personalized, project-based learning
https://imaginationlabschool.org
AltSchool – former network of US micro-schools whose platform evolved into Altitude Learning
https://www.altschool.com Wikipedia
Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC) – mastery-based, competency-focused high-school transcript model
https://mastery.org Julie Lythcott-Haims
Global Impact Diploma (example description) – impact-focused diploma pathway integrating projects, leadership and community work
Example overview: see Global Impact Diploma guide used by the International School of Havana cdn.ishavana.org
Referenced book
Julie Lythcott-Haims – How to Raise an Adult (often recommended to parents in this context)
Publisher page: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250075662/howtoraiseanadult
Core ideas from the conversation
From “teaching maths” to “teaching children”
Ben describes his shift from being a successful head of maths in a traditional UK school (focused on exam results) to realizing that students were mainly learning to pass tests, not to become better thinkers or humans. That pushed him toward a more learner-centred vision of education.
Colina International School’s core purpose
In Cluj (Transylvania, Romania), Colina International School (formerly Colina Learning Center) was designed around three big aims for every student:
Becoming powerful, self-directed learners
Building healthy, meaningful relationships
Knowing they matter and can bring ideas to life in the real world (colinalearning.com)
Competency-based model & daily structure
The curriculum is built around competencies and skills, not just content: e.g. focus, growth mindset, self-awareness in learning, relationship-building, and impact on the world.
Daily life mixes:
Crew time (tutor/SEL circle): sharing feelings, resolving conflicts, setting goals, holding one another accountable.
Literacy & numeracy blocks (including some adaptive edtech/AI) for solid foundations.
Project-based / expeditionary learning: 5 big projects per year, following an expedition cycle (launch, inquiry, doing, impact), with authenticity more important than “shoehorning” curriculum. (colinalearning.com)
Bridging idealism and parental realism
To convince families, Ben insists you must:
Show you understand the real world (exams, university access, local systems).
Offer clear pathways: what happens if a student leaves at 14, or stays to 18, whether they need national exams, IB/Cambridge routes, or none. (Cambridge International)
Provide optional intensely academic clubs for students who want that depth, instead of forcing everyone through the same high-stakes route.
Key “epiphany” story
A disengaged 14-year-old in Ben’s maths class, labelled a “problem student,” turned out to be running a large online gaming community with tens of thousands of users. That revealed hidden leadership, creativity, and critical thinking that school was completely missing—cementing Ben’s conviction that school must start from who students are, not from the exam syllabus.
AI as inevitable tool, not something to “ban”
At Colina, AI is treated as a real, permanent part of life:
Students are taught to use it thoughtfully (and safely: data/privacy, GDPR, etc.), not simply forbidden.
Ben notes AI can massively lower barriers—for example, a parent believes students could co-author genuine academic papers with AI support.
The big challenge is pairing human intuition, ethics and purpose with AI’s cognitive power, rather than pretending AI can be kept outside school.
Advice to educators stuck in rigid systems
Start with small “hacks” and pilot projects: a club, a lunch group, a different way of running tutor time, a small “school within the school.”
Understand that leadership is a stance, not a title: you can lead by starting things and inviting colleagues and students in.
Do something that aligns with your deeper purpose; visible authenticity tends to attract allies and slowly shifts culture.
Key entities mentioned (with example URLs)
Colina International School / Colina Learning Center (Cluj, Romania) – Expeditionary / project-based, competency-based international school Ben leads.
Website: https://colinainternational.com (colinalearning.com)
Expeditionary / project-based learning (EL Education as a reference) – The kind of long-term, real-world projects Colina uses are closely aligned with EL Education’s expeditionary model (roots in Outward Bound & Harvard). (colinalearning.com)
Cambridge Assessment International Education – Ben refers to preparing students for “Cambridge exams” and GCSE-style assessments; these are overseen internationally by Cambridge Assessment International Education.
Info site: https://www.cambridgeinternational.org (Cambridge International)
International Baccalaureate (IB) – Mentioned as an example of systems trying to offer different pathways (e.g. IB Diploma) while still often remaining exam-centred.
Info site: https://www.ibo.org (International Baccalaureate®)
1. What this ISQ / Queensland segment was about
This hour, hosted by Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ), focused on how Queensland independent schools are re-thinking student wellbeing through:
Deep First Nations partnerships and culture-centred programs
Parent engagement as a wellbeing strategy, not just a communication add-on
Behaviour and pastoral care frameworks grounded in relationship and reflection
Wellbeing of international students living away from home
It was framed explicitly within World Children’s Day and the idea that wellbeing is not “one program” but a whole-school culture.
2. Key contributions & initiatives
a) ISQ – reconciliation, First Nations perspectives and sector role
ISQ opens with an Acknowledgement of Country (Jagera, Yuggera and Turrbal peoples in Meanjin/Brisbane) and positions itself as the peak body for independent schools in Queensland, supporting teaching, learning and school improvement. (isq.qld.edu.au)
ISQ emphasises its Reconciliation Action Plan and ongoing work with schools to:
Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ education
Provide PD for staff and emerging First Nations leaders
Help schools embed First Nations perspectives across the curriculum as part of both learning and wellbeing. (isq.qld.edu.au)
b) Radiant Life College & the Gundoi Wellbeing Program
Speaker: Nathaniel Edwards, Principal, Radiant Life College (far north Queensland, majority Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander). (Facebook)
Core idea: Gundoi is a culture-centred wellbeing and identity program co-designed with local Elders:
Gundoi means cassowary, symbolising nurturing and protection; the bird is used as a metaphor for the school’s role in “replenishing the next generation”.
Each class has “deadly days” with: language learning, dancing, arts, on-Country activities and a Junior Ranger program (salt water, fresh water, land and reef catchments plus social, emotional, spiritual and cultural dimensions).
The program was born from a community necessity: many students were disengaged and “at the back of the bus”. Gundoi deliberately puts First Nations students “in the driver’s seat” of their own learning and culture.
It has opened global doors: students share culture in places like Google in Auckland and with partners in Japan, helping them see themselves on a global stage, without shame, and imagine futures as doctors, lawyers, etc.
Nathaniel describes the school as “in the business of maintaining dreams”; fearless children become confident adults. The aspiration is for Gundoi to be a benchmark model for breaking cycles of poverty and unemployment.
He also highlights the complexity of wellbeing in First Nations contexts: high mobility (children changing beds and homes during the week), low socio-economic conditions and strong regulatory scrutiny. The non-negotiable is a safe, culturally strong space where identity is honoured.
c) Queensland Independent Schools Parents Network – Mastering Parent Engagement
Speaker: Amanda Watt, Executive Director, Queensland Independent Schools Parents Network (QISPN). (parentsnetwork.qld.edu.au)
Key distinctions & program:
Parent involvement vs parent engagement
Involvement = schools doing to parents (e.g., information nights, newsletters).
Engagement = schools doing with parents, in a genuine partnership around learning and wellbeing.
QISPN runs “Mastering Parent Engagement”, a flagship program helping schools:
Translate 60+ years of research into small, practical tweaks (how emails are written, how first meetings are framed, how learning is explained to families). (parentsnetwork.qld.edu.au)
Re-build relationships where home and school see each other as allies for the child, not adversaries.
Around 40 schools have completed the program with 29 more joining, showing strong demand in the sector. (parentsnetwork.qld.edu.au)
Wellbeing impact:
When relationships flip from fear/conflict to “we’re on the same team”, it reduces stress, misunderstandings and complaint cycles for staff.
This has a direct payoff for teacher wellbeing: fewer combative interactions, more shared purpose, and more emotional support for educators as well as families.
d) Parklands Christian College – Responsible Thinking Classroom / Parklands Way
Speaker: Gary Cully, Principal, Parklands Christian College (Logan City). (isq.qld.edu.au)
The model:
The school (about 1,200 students from early learning to Year 12) operates Responsible Thinking Classrooms (RTCs) as the core of its wellbeing and behaviour education approach. (isq.qld.edu.au)
Initially (2006), RTC was a simple withdrawal room for misbehaviour; it has evolved into multi-disciplinary hubs staffed by social workers and youth workers, supported by heads of school and learning enrichment teams.
Students use RTCs to:
Pause, reflect and complete RT reflection plans
Learn to self-regulate, understand triggers and plan better responses
Address underlying needs (anxiety, friendship issues, neurodiversity, family stress)
Key principles:
Behaviour is treated as communication, not just a discipline issue.
There is a strong emphasis on restorative, relational justice: every child has a right to a disruption-free classroom, but disruptive students also get intensive support to understand and change their behaviour.
Implementation is resource-intensive – several staff and >$300k/year – partly offset by SWD (students with disability) funding, but Gary stresses you must be “all in” if you choose this model.
Impact on staff and students:
The process removes heat and emotion from classroom incidents: teachers know what to do, have a clear process, and are not left to manage complex behaviour alone.
It increases instructional time and creates a common language around behaviour across Prep–Year 12.
Parents hold the school accountable for the promise of a caring, structured behaviour system, but they also become partners when they see consistent follow-through.
A parent testimonial in the video underlines big gains in student confidence, sense of belonging and holistic growth. (isq.qld.edu.au)
e) John Paul College / John Paul International College – Extended Day Program
Speaker: David Ferguson, Director of International & Accommodation Operations, John Paul College / John Paul International College (JPC), Logan City. (jpic.com.au)
Context:
JPC has hosted international students since 1997 through John Paul International College, providing English language and cultural preparation plus boarding and homestay options. (jpic.com.au)
Extended Day Program (EDP):
The EDP sits between homestay and full boarding:
International (and some domestic) students stay on campus after school, get tutoring, supervised study, dinner and then take school buses home around 6pm.
Staff practise “thoughtful eavesdropping”: by listening to student conversations, they pick up emerging stress (exams, friendships, homesickness) and can proactively respond.
Goals:
Ensure equal access to co-curricular activities (sport, arts) even when parents/host families can’t drive students.
Boost academic success via structured support, which in turn reinforces belonging and wellbeing.
Evidence of impact:
Surveys of students, parents abroad, homestay families and education agents show strong satisfaction; demand exceeds available places. (jpic.com.au)
The program is resource- and cost-intensive, but considered essential to care for students 24/7 when families are overseas.
Homestay families receive regular training, including child-safety updates and space to share challenges, so the home environment is aligned with school wellbeing goals. (jpic.com.au)
f) Cross-cutting panel themes
Across the final discussion, a few threads tied everything together:
Wellbeing must be student-driven, not just system-driven
David references work like Judith Locke’s on avoiding “bonsai children”: we need to build resilience and independence, not over-protect via constant digital tethering. (Radiant Life College |)
Parents as genuine partners
Done well, parent engagement reduces conflict and stress for teachers and creates a united front around children. (parentsnetwork.qld.edu.au)
Culture and identity as core to wellbeing
From Gundoi to First Nations reconciliation work, cultural safety is framed as a pre-condition for learning, not a nice extra. (Facebook)
Relationship first, programs second
Whether it’s RTCs, extended day, or mastering parent engagement: relationships, trust and shared “why” are what make the structures work.
Wellbeing is a culture
Host Angelina closes by saying wellbeing is not one program or one role, but a way of walking alongside students, families and communities with empathy, expertise and purpose.
3. Main entities & where they fit
These are the main organizations and initiatives referenced in the ISQ / Queensland hour:
Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ) – Peak body representing, promoting and supporting the independent schooling sector in Queensland; drives work on teaching, learning, reconciliation and school improvement. (isq.qld.edu.au)
Radiant Life College – Regional, majority Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander independent school in far north Queensland; home of the Gundoi Wellbeing Program and Junior Ranger Program. (Facebook)
Gundoi Wellbeing Program – Culture-centered program (language, dance, on-Country learning, Junior Ranger) co-designed with Elders to build identity, pride and future aspirations for First Nations students. (Facebook)
Queensland Independent Schools Parents Network (QISPN) – Peak body for families in the independent sector; runs Mastering Parent Engagement and related research/initiatives (e.g., EPIC) to strengthen school–family partnerships. (parentsnetwork.qld.edu.au)
Mastering Parent Engagement (and MPE Plus) – Flagship professional learning program supporting schools to implement evidence-based parent engagement in practical, context-sensitive ways. (parentsnetwork.qld.edu.au)
Parklands Christian College – P–12 Christian school in Logan City; operates Responsible Thinking Classrooms and a whole-school Responsible Thinking Process as its core behaviour and wellbeing framework. (isq.qld.edu.au)
Responsible Thinking Classroom / Parklands Way – Structured, relational behaviour support model that uses reflection hubs staffed by social/youth workers, integrated with learning enrichment and SWD support. (isq.qld.edu.au)
John Paul College / John Paul International College (JPC) – Large independent school and international college in Logan City serving local and international students through EAL pathways, boarding and homestay. (jpic.com.au)
Extended Day Program (JPC) – After-school program for international and some domestic students providing structured study, tutoring, meals and support before they go home, aimed at increasing belonging, access and academic success. (jpic.com.au)
If you’d like, next step could be a one-page comparative table of the Australian associations vs the ISQ initiatives (APA, ASPA, AHISA, IPSHA, ASEPA, ISQ/QISPN, plus these schools) for your follow-up reports or slides.
Comprehensive summary of the UK / Queen Ethelburga’s segment
Context & people
The UK segment is led by Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate (QE), an independent day and boarding school near York, in North Yorkshire, England. (Wikipedia)
Presenters include Fay Hardcastle and Tara Stewart (senior lead practitioners), Andrea Bradford Ryder (head of staff and departments), and Matt Clayton (head of co-curricular).
They frame their contribution as an update since their 2022 participation, showing how their initiatives to help students “Thrive at QE” have evolved.
1. Thrive at QE: whole-child framework
QE structures its work around four collegiate aims: Academic, Enrichment, Welfare, and Well-being, with a strong emphasis on developing holistic, well-rounded young people. All classroom work, co-curricular activities, and support systems are mapped back to explicit skills in these four domains (e.g., motivation, organisation, independence under “approach to learning”).
Their motto, “To be the best that I can with the gifts that I have,” underpins the idea that every student is supported to develop their own strengths and identity, not just academic performance.
2. Future skills and student voice
QE’s redesign is explicitly informed by the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs reports (2020 and 2025), which identify the skills and roles that will grow in importance by 2025–2030. (World Economic Forum)
They emphasise transferable competencies (critical thinking, collaboration, technology use, creativity, emotional intelligence) and align school programmes with the fastest-growing skills and jobs identified in those reports. (World Economic Forum)
Recent student feedback on the curriculum shows that learners are increasingly aware of labour-market trends and want to develop the skills demanded by current and emerging jobs. Student voice is used to refine provision and co-design new initiatives.
3. Academic provision, choice, and niche pathways
Personalised learning & subject choice
Students have significant choice:
In Year 9 they already pick options to explore interests before GCSEs.
At Key Stage 4 (GCSE) there are about 19 subjects to choose from.
At Key Stage 5 (post-16) this expands to 30+ subjects, including both academic and vocational routes.
The emphasis is on matching courses to individual aspirations, giving breadth plus early specialisation where appropriate.
QE Futures & careers guidance
QE Futures is the school’s careers programme, with a dedicated careers team. (qe.org)
They use Morrisby, an online careers and aptitude platform, from Year 9 upwards to help students explore pathways, understand their strengths, and support university applications and personal statements. (morrisby.com)
Provision includes CV workshops, employability-skills evenings, and networking events where local employers meet students and parents and talk about what they look for in future employees.
Niche and innovative subjects
QE has introduced Robotics as a subject that integrates computing, engineering, and problem-solving, with clear real-world applications.
Esports has become a flagship area:
Offered as a BTEC qualification at both GCSE and Key Stage 5. (qe.org)
Multiple esports teams develop leadership, strategy, and teamwork.
A Minecraft team reached the world finals in Malta and took two silver (second-place) finishes, demonstrating excellence in a rapidly growing global industry.
QE will host the ISA Esports Finals outside London for the first time, bringing Minecraft and Rocket League teams from other schools to their campus. (Linked to the Independent Schools Association’s growing esports structure.) (isaschools.org.uk)
4. AI, critical thinking, and ethical use
QE has been an early adopter of AI in teaching and learning, particularly since the explosion of generative AI post-2022.
They have a formal AI policy for staff and students, focusing on:
Ethical use, checking for bias,
Understanding how outputs are generated,
Considering sustainability and climate impact of AI systems.
Students build AI “agents” to help with tasks such as personal-statement drafting—used as a scaffold, not as a shortcut that replaces their own thinking.
Staff report a shift in student behaviour:
Initially, AI was seen as a tool that “could replace everything.”
Now, students critically evaluate AI outputs, compare them to their own work, and use AI as one resource among many, thereby strengthening critical thinking and metacognition.
5. QE Study Toolkit & study culture
QE has implemented a whole-school QE Study Toolkit, a structured package of strategies for time management, organisation, and effective revision from Year 6 to Year 13. (qe.org)
It grew out of post-pandemic learning-loss work and is designed to:
Help students choose and test evidence-based methods (e.g., Pomodoro, spaced practice, active recall),
Replace less effective habits like passive highlighting.
A nightly “Power Hour” sees students supported by subject ambassadors (older peers) to work on homework and revision, and to discuss workload and scheduling.
The same tools are used by staff in their own work (e.g., Pomodoro) and are framed as lifelong skills that apply to university, work, and everyday life.
6. Enrichment: trips, experiences, and global outlook
Under the Enrichment strand (“foster a spirit of adventure and discovery”), QE offers a very dense programme of trips and activities:
Local & UK trips: day visits (e.g., to Leeds, Whitby, Bridlington, the seaside) to contrast urban/rural environments; regular outings for boarders (cinema, meals in York, bowling, horse-riding, etc.).
Residentials and overseas experiences:
Skiing in Italy,
Language and culture trip to Madrid,
Esports competition trip to Malta,
Science/cultural visit to Iceland,
Planned trips to New York & Washington, and Berlin.
These experiences are framed as cultural exploration and self-exploration: students learn about other places while discovering interests, independence, and confidence.
7. Skill development & co-curricular breadth
QE offers around 140+ lunchtime and after-school activities plus before-school and weekend options, supported by both staff and external coaches (e.g., instrumental/vocal tutors, fencing, off-site horse-riding and golf).
Activities span sport, music, arts, technology, and more, emphasising:
Perseverance through challenge,
Collaboration and peer teaching,
Building competence and confidence over time.
QE Motorsport is a standout STEM enrichment:
Students run a fully-fledged motorsport team, converting a small road car (Citroën C1/Peugeot 107 type) to CityCar Cup racing specifications, in partnership with Student Motorsport and the BRSCC CityCar Cup Championship. (citycarcup.co.uk)
A professional driver races the car, while students handle engineering checks, tyre changes, fuel calculations, and even engine swaps.
The team has achieved podiums and awards (e.g., professionalism awards) and is promoted as a bridge between classroom STEM and real engineering practice.
8. Leadership, character, and service
Under Personal Growth, Welfare, and Well-being, QE emphasises:
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) at all three levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold), developing leadership, resilience, and outdoor skills. (The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award)
Combined Cadet Force (CCF) with RAF and Army sections, offering flying days, range days, and leadership/discipline training in line with national CCF aims. (Combined Cadet Force)
Extensive student leadership roles: prefects, Thrive ambassadors (for each of the four strands), buddies, and counsellors.
Volunteering & charity:
Visits to local care homes,
Beach cleans and community projects,
Charity work including hosting part of rugby legend Kevin Sinfield’s “7 in 7” marathon fundraising efforts. (Kevin Sinfield)
A strong emphasis on movement literacy and “Fitness for Life”, shaped by research from Leeds Beckett University on fundamental movement skills in adolescents, leading to inclusive programmes that present physical activity as “skill development” rather than only competitive sport. (queenethelburga.static.amais.com)
All of this is explicitly linked to happiness, positive health, community safety, and citizenship, aiming to graduate young people who are kind, community-minded, and confident.
9. Diversity, culture, and student-led celebration
QE has a highly international student body and uses this as a foundation for cultural awareness and inclusion.
A highlight is their Cultural Awareness Week, culminating in a day where students wear national dress and, this year, organised a student-run fashion show—planned and led entirely by students.
The segment closes with this event as a symbol of student agency, global identity, and pride, illustrating how all four Thrive strands come together around the student at the centre.
Entities mentioned & example URLs
Core school and internal programmes
Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate (QE) – main school featured
Website: https://www.qe.org (qe.org)
Queen Ethelburga’s College (senior school within the Collegiate)
Academic info: https://www.qe.org/college (qe.org)
Thrive at QE (ethos/behaviour and rewards system)
Referenced in behaviour policy: link from QE site (queenethelburga.static.amais.com)
QE Study Toolkit
QE page: https://www.qe.org/study-toolkit (qe.org)
QE Futures (careers programme)
Career guidance info: https://www.qe.org/career-guidance (qe.org)
QE Motorsport
QE news: https://www.qe.org/student-motorsport-team-takes-top-award (qe.org)
Student Motorsport team page: https://studentmotorsport.com/qe-motorsport-2-team-page-2024/ (Student Motorsport)
External reports, platforms and organisations
World Economic Forum – Future of Jobs Report 2020
Overview: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2020/ (World Economic Forum)
World Economic Forum – Future of Jobs Report 2025
Overview: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/ (World Economic Forum)
Morrisby – Careers Platform
https://www.morrisby.com/ (morrisby.com)
Independent Schools Association (ISA) – Esports
Esports events: https://www.isaschools.org.uk/sport/national-events/esports.html (isaschools.org.uk)
Student Motorsport / CityCar Cup
CityCar Cup info (BRSCC): https://citycarcup.co.uk/ (citycarcup.co.uk)
Student Motorsport challenge: https://inclusionhub.motorsportuk.org/student-motorsport/ (inclusionhub.motorsportuk.org)
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (UK)
https://www.dofe.org/ (The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award)
Combined Cadet Force (CCF)
Official site: https://combinedcadetforce.org.uk/ (Combined Cadet Force)
Leeds Beckett University (strength & conditioning / movement literacy partner)
Main site: https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/ (implied partner from “Leed Beckett” in transcript) (queenethelburga.static.amais.com)
Kevin Sinfield (charity marathon guest)
Official site: https://kevinsinfield.com/ (Kevin Sinfield)
Places & attractions referenced
These don’t all need deep links, but here are representative URLs:
York, North Yorkshire – local city:
https://www.visityork.org/ (qe.org)
Leeds (city) – day-trip destination:
https://www.visitleeds.co.uk/ (qe.org)
Whitby – seaside town:
https://www.visitwhitby.com/ (qe.org)
Bridlington – seaside town:
https://www.bridlington.net/ (qe.org)
Blackpool – UK coastal resort:
https://www.visitblackpool.com/ (qe.org)
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter (“Harry Potter World” trip)
https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/ (qe.org)
Iceland tourism – context for school science/culture trip:
https://visiticeland.com/ (qe.org)
1. What TAMAM is and where it comes from
TAMAM is a research-and-development initiative based at the American University of Beirut (AUB), launched in 2007. Its name comes from an Arabic phrase meaning school-based improvement.
It emerged as a response to common problems in Arab education systems: highly bureaucratic, top-down reforms, heavy reliance on imported “parachuted” projects, weak local research, and teachers treated as passive implementers rather than real change agents.
Under the leadership of Dr. Rima Karami Akkary, TAMAM has grown into a long-term regional project that works with schools across at least eight Arab countries (including Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Sudan and Palestine), focusing on building leadership capacity for sustainable, school-based reform. (Wikipedia)
2. The core idea: reform as an interaction of practice, research, and policy
The segment explains TAMAM’s theory of change:
Reform is seen as a complex, non-linear process that happens through the interaction of:
Practice (schools and educators),
Research (systematic inquiry, action research),
Policy (supportive frameworks and regulations).
Schools and educators are the starting point: reform is school-based and bottom-up, with teachers, leaders, students and families seen as agentic actors, not passive recipients.
Action research is the main methodology:
Identify a problem or area for improvement.
Review international and local research.
Co-design an initiative with practitioners.
Implement, collect data, reflect, refine.
Policy doesn’t dictate everything from above; instead, policy gains legitimacy by being informed by practice. TAMAM pushes for coherence between:
Bottom-up innovation in schools, and
Top-down enabling policies that help scale and sustain those innovations.
The student is at the center of this triangle, and the ultimate goal is a self-renewing school that continually learns, adapts, and improves.
3. Capacity-building design and its impact (Jordan case study)
One of the key parts of the segment is the capacity-building program for leading school-based improvement:
The program is built around:
A set of leadership competencies (11 “pillars”) needed for sustainable school improvement.
A job-embedded learning journey, where teams of practitioners work on a real improvement initiative in their school (not a theoretical exercise).
Very strong attention to motivation, wellbeing and agency of the educators.
Over the years, this design has been implemented in dozens of schools in nine Arab countries, building the leadership capacity of more than 1,300 practitioners and impacting over 35,000 students, according to the team’s own internal data reported in the talk.
They share an evaluation study from a mainstream private school in Jordan:
The school team used the TAMAM process to redesign their student behaviour and discipline system, updating:
The student profile,
The discipline manual (making it more student-centred and supportive),
Parent engagement and student life through clubs and activities.
Data (quantitative and qualitative) were collected with support from a local university.
Findings on teachers:
The lead team:
Showed measurable growth in all TAMAM competencies.
Practiced participative leadership, modelling collaboration and reflective inquiry.
Systematically used data-based decision making, planning, monitoring and evaluating interventions.
Reported higher self-efficacy, agency, and ownership of school improvement.
Findings on students:
Direct impact:
Increased self-confidence and student leadership.
Stronger sense of belonging, emotional wellbeing and respectful relationships.
Indirect impact:
A more positive, cohesive school culture as the environment changed:
Better student–teacher and teacher–parent relationships.
A stronger sense of shared responsibility for the school’s success.
The key message: when teacher teams are empowered and supported over time, their learning “cascades” into improved climate and student outcomes.
4. Building teacher leadership
The segment then zooms in on teacher leadership and how TAMAM nurtures it:
Definition of teacher leaders (in their framing):
Still classroom teachers, but also:
Collaborators and facilitators of collaboration.
Providers of professional learning to peers.
Builders of partnerships with families and community.
Policy advocates.
Data-driven decision makers.
Systems thinkers, not just “my classroom” thinkers.
Design elements that support teacher leadership:
Job-embedded learning
Teachers learn in their own context, while facing real obstacles and questions, not in isolated workshops.
Stable, multi-disciplinary teams
Teams include teachers from different subjects and roles (math, arts, PE, etc.), and administrators.
Stability over time is crucial to build trust, because deep reflection and change require vulnerability.
Action research as a backbone
Gives teachers a structured process to diagnose needs, plan interventions, collect and interpret data, evaluate impact, and decide next steps.
Strengthens teachers as data-informed advocates and system thinkers (they see the school as a whole, not just their class).
Attention to school conditions
Even strong teacher leaders need supportive conditions. TAMAM explicitly works with schools on:
Time allocation for teams to meet.
Structures and routines for collaboration.
Resources for professional learning.
Leadership practices that support, rather than block, teacher initiative.
Strategies for getting buy-in and dealing with resistance.
5. Coaching as a human-centred, contextual process
TAMAM’s coaching model is not just technical training; it’s described as human-centred, context-sensitive and multi-dimensional:
It draws on:
Adult learning theory,
Experiential learning,
Mentoring approaches,
And has been adapted over many years specifically to Arab school contexts.
They distinguish three phases:
Preparation
Understand the school’s history, culture, structures, and context.
Map team members’ profiles, skills, and experiences.
Meet key stakeholders to:
Clarify purpose and expectations,
Secure commitment and resources.
Diagnose coaching needs and build a customized coaching plan.
Coaching phase
Includes technical activities (workshops, school visits, meetings, feedback, continuous communication).
But also adaptive practices:
Scaffolding based on team readiness.
Mediating conflicts and power dynamics.
Listening empathetically to professional and personal concerns.
Nurturing ownership and motivation so educators feel the initiative is “theirs”, not imposed.
Withdrawal / handover
Gradual reduction of coach involvement.
Handing responsibility back to the school team.
Aim: avoid dependency and ensure sustainability after TAMAM leaves.
They explicitly look at the school as a system across four dimensions:
Human (emotions, motivation),
Organizational (structures, roles, processes),
Political (power, conflict),
Cultural (norms, values, traditions).
6. Instructional supervision as a missing but essential piece
From TAMAM’s experience, one critical condition for sustained improvement is instructional supervision, re-conceptualised:
It is understood not as a top-down inspector role, but as:
A function distributed across advisors, heads of department, lead teachers, mentors, etc.
A process that supports teachers in improving instruction and achieving school goals.
Why it matters:
Close to classrooms
Instructional supervisors regularly enter classrooms; they can:
Translate broad improvement strategies into concrete classroom practices.
See what is actually happening in teaching and learning.
Collegial relationships
Because they are peers, they can:
Build ownership through collaboration.
Sustain professional learning communities rather than compliance cultures.
Bridge between practice and leadership
They can:
Communicate classroom realities to school leadership.
Help mobilize resources and adjust strategies based on real needs.
In TAMAM’s model, effective instructional supervision is:
Developmental and collaborative, not punitive.
Grounded in continuous inquiry and reflection.
Focused on:
Setting up wise meetings (used to discuss practice, not only logistics),
Running inquiry cycles with teachers,
Documenting effective practices to build institutional memory,
Aligning curriculum and instruction with the emerging requirements of the improvement projects,
Monitoring the school improvement plan and steering next steps.
A key insight from TAMAM: lasting change is cultural, not merely technical, and instructional supervisors are crucial to making new practices part of the school culture.
7. Overall reach, impact, and recognition
Over almost 18 years, TAMAM has:
Worked with dozens of schools across the Arab region (at least 67 schools in eight Arab countries, according to biographical data on its director). (Wikipedia)
Built the leadership capacity of hundreds of educators and influenced tens of thousands of students, as reported in the segment.
Produced grounded designs (frameworks and tools) on:
Team and leadership development,
Coaching,
Student leadership,
Family engagement,
Network design,
Inter-school collaboration,
Policy design.
Created a professional network of educators and stakeholders across the region, and a digital library and online resources hosted under the TAMAM project. (arabthought.org)
International recognition:
TAMAM was awarded the UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development (2021–2022), one of UNESCO’s flagship prizes for outstanding initiatives that enhance teacher effectiveness. (UNESCO)
The project has been funded and supported by organizations such as the Arab Thought Foundation, the Hamdan Foundation, and other regional partners. (arabthought.org)
The segment closes by inviting viewers to visit TAMAM’s digital channels and highlighting their pride in being a home-grown Arab model of school reform that other regions can learn from.
8. Key entities and URLs
Core project & institutions
TAMAM Project (School-Based Improvement Initiative)
Description: Regional research & development initiative on school-based reform and leadership capacity building in the Arab world.
Website: https://www.tamamproject.org (Facebook)
American University of Beirut (AUB) – Faculty of Arts and Sciences / Education
Description: Host institution for TAMAM; Dr. Rima Karami Akkary is faculty member and TAMAM director.
Website: https://www.aub.edu.lb (aub.edu.lb)
UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development
Description: International prize recognizing innovative practices that improve teacher performance and effectiveness. TAMAM is a 2021–2022 laureate. (UNESCO)
Info page: https://www.unesco.org/en/prizes/teacher-development (UNESCO)
Arab Thought Foundation – TAMAM Program Page
Description: Regional foundation that has supported TAMAM; provides background and objectives of the program.
URL (program description): https://arabthought.org/tamam (or equivalent “TAMAM” page under arabthought.org; see search result referencing the partnership). (arabthought.org)
Key people mentioned / implied
Dr. Rima Karami Akkary
Role: Founder and Director of the TAMAM Project; Associate Professor at AUB.
Bio (includes overview of TAMAM and UNESCO-Hamdan prize):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rima_Karami (Wikipedia)
TAMAM Team members appearing in the segment
(names from the transcript; individual official pages are not all centralized online)
Rayan Katerji – Introduces TAMAM, its theory of change, and overall impact.
Diana S. – Presents the capacity-building design and its impact on teachers and students (Jordan case study).
Dr. Stephanie Jaidini – Presents findings on teacher leadership and school conditions.
Yusra – Explains the coaching model and its human-centred approach.
Nidal – Explains the role of instructional supervision in sustaining improvement.
(For a full and updated team list, TAMAM typically lists staff and associates on its website: https://www.tamamproject.org.)
Social & media channels
TAMAM on Facebook
Description: Official page sharing news, events, and publications; also lists main website URL and social handles.
URL: https://www.facebook.com/tamamproject/ (Facebook)
TAMAM on X (Twitter) – @TamamProject
Description: Short updates and links from the project.
URL (inferred from handle listed on Facebook): https://twitter.com/TamamProject (Facebook)
1. What the Singapore segment was about
This hour, hosted by Principal Academy (Singapore), showcased three complementary lenses on the future of learning:
Inclusion & special educational needs (SEN) – building truly inclusive school cultures.
Brain-based learning – using how the brain actually learns to develop higher-order thinking skills in the AI era.
Future-ready curriculum design – aligning curriculum intent, pedagogy, technology and assessment around skills, not just content.
Together they painted a coherent picture: future-ready systems must be inclusive, brain-informed and tightly aligned, with technology as a lever, not the goal.
2. Key contributions & initiatives
a) Principal Academy Singapore – framing and role
Host: Joseph Loy, Principal Academy.
Positions Principal Academy as a professional learning hub that connects research, policy and school practice.
Curates the segment around three big themes:
Supporting learners with special educational needs (SEN)
Brain-based learning and higher-order thinking in the AI era
Future-ready curriculum alignment, technology and inclusion
They’re effectively acting as a bridge between Singapore’s system-level expertise and international audiences.
b) Simon Ren – Inclusive education & SEN
Talk: Supporting learners with special educational needs towards an inclusive future
Core framing:
Inclusion = all students, regardless of ability, learning together in the same classrooms, fully supported to participate in all school activities.
Focus on three common SEN profiles:
Dyslexia (approx. 5–10%)
ADHD/ADD (approx. 8–12%)
Autism (large variation; often underestimated, especially in parts of Asia)
Key challenges he names:
Many students with SEN are never formally diagnosed (parents’ reluctance, lack of access, cost).
Allied health professionals (speech therapists, OTs, psychologists) are scarce in many systems.
Most teachers are not trained in SEN, yet are under immense pressure for:
Academic results
Behaviour management
Building a truly inclusive school culture – his main moves:
Start with values (for real, not lip service)
Every child can learn with appropriate support.
Every child deserves equal respect and full inclusion in school life.
These values must be:
Explicit in vision and policy
Embedded in strategic planning
Shared by leaders, staff, students and families
Safe, welcoming environment through PBIS
Use Positive Behaviour Interventions and Supports (PBIS):
Clear, positive expectations (what to do, not only what not to do)
Students co-create rules → higher ownership
Strong anti-bullying strategies (including online)
Systematic identification and support – MTSS
Adopt a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS):
Tier 1: Core high-quality pedagogy + PBIS for all students
Tier 2: Early, targeted support (≈15% of students)
Tier 3: Intensive, individualised support for the small group with complex needs
Identification must be data-based and systematic, not just teacher intuition.
Holistic student profiles
Don’t collect only “problems”; map:
Strengths, interests, preferences
Social behaviour
Learning strengths and challenges
Behavioural patterns
Relevant medical and family context
Partnership with parents as “single most powerful agent of change”
Build the relationship early, not only when problems arise.
Talk about strengths and progress, not only deficits.
Clear communication channels (who contacts whom, how, and how often).
Respect parents as experts on their child; be culturally sensitive.
Teacher beliefs and practical training
Help teachers move from “won’t do” to “can’t do (yet)” understanding.
Give experiential training so they can “feel” what dyslexia/ADHD/autism is like.
Allow flexibility (e.g. child with ADHD allowed to walk at the back of class).
Use surveys to find teachers’ real pain points (e.g. meltdowns), then train for those.
Training should:
Be small-group, practical, integrated into PD (not one-off lectures)
Follow Behaviour Skills Training (BST): describe → model → rehearse → feedback
His bottom line:
Use evidence-informed strategies, not intuition.
Build a critical mass of teachers with real, hands-on SEN expertise.
As teachers see themselves being effective, beliefs improve, stress drops, and inclusion becomes sustainable.
c) Prof. Erning Hua – Brain-based learning & higher-order thinking in the AI era
Talk: Brain-based learning: developing higher-order thinking skills in the AI era
Big idea:
AI is not just a tool; it’s a new cognitive infrastructure. To stay relevant, humans must excel at what AI is weakest at: higher-order thinking. Brain-based learning gives a roadmap to do that.
Why higher-order thinking (HOTS) matters now:
AI will automate routine tasks and surface information instantly.
The World Economic Forum top skills list (analytical thinking, complex problem-solving, creativity, resilience, etc.) is essentially a HOTS checklist.
He uses Bloom’s taxonomy:
Lower: Remember–Understand–Apply
Higher: Analyse–Evaluate–Create → this is where we need to live.
Three components of HOTS:
Deep domain understanding (beyond memorisation; grasp of principles & patterns).
Processing skills (gather, evaluate, synthesise information).
Reflective disposition:
The power of pause
Resist hasty conclusions and automation bias (“AI said so, so it must be right”).
Evolution of pedagogy he proposes:
Direct instruction (industrial age)
Teacher = expert transmitter, students = passive receivers.
Mainly lower-order (remember/understand).
Project-/problem-based learning
Teacher = facilitator, students = active explorers.
Mid to higher order (apply/analyse).
Guided experience approach
Teacher/mentor = coach and co-learner.
Students = co-constructors, tackling complex, real-world tasks.
Fully engages analyse–evaluate–create.
Brain-based learning principles (in short):
The brain is a parallel processor → use multi-sensory, rich media.
Meaning & patterning → students learn when they can connect new content to existing patterns.
Emotion is critical → positive, safe challenge boosts learning; threat shuts it down.
Every brain is uniquely organized → each student brings different prior knowledge and wiring.
He condenses great teaching into three elements:
Relaxed alertness – safe, low-threat but intellectually challenging environment.
Immersion in complex experience – authentic, complex tasks (projects, real problems).
Active processing of experience – structured reflection, consolidation, retrieval practice.
Practical strategies he highlights:
Active learning:
Inquiry-based learning
Problem-based learning
Flipped classroom (content at home, discussion in class)
Case-based learning
Emotional & social dimensions:
Peer discussion, collaborative problem-solving
Linking learning to students’ own experiences and prior knowledge
Role of technology & AI:
Enable personalisation (because each brain is different).
Use adaptive platforms, cognitive-skill tools, and AI to:
handle routine practice and content delivery
free teachers for coaching, questioning, feedback, and relationship-building
Assessment shift:
From recall-heavy exams to more problem-based, real-world assessments that show higher-order thinking in action.
d) Analu (senior consultant) – Designing future-ready curriculum
Talk: Designing future-ready curriculum: alignment, technology and inclusion
Central diagnosis:
The hardest problem in education is alignment:
Making curriculum intent, pedagogy and assessment all speak the same language – the language of skills, dispositions and real-world competence.
Too often:
Curriculum says it values 21st-century skills,
Pedagogy still centres on content delivery,
Assessment still rewards short-term recall.
1. Aligning intent – from content to capability
A future-ready curriculum must prioritise the 4Cs:
Critical thinking
Communication
Collaboration
Creativity
Technology is not the intent; it’s the lever.
Rewrite outcomes from “Students will know…” to “Students will be able to… evaluate, justify, create, solve, etc.”
2. Technology as lever for skills and inclusion
He proposes mapping:
Capability (e.g. critical thinking) →
Tool (e.g. annotation platform) →
Concrete student actions (analyse, critique, compare).
Examples he mentions or implies:
Social annotation platforms (Hypothesis, Perusall, etc.):
Students highlight, comment, question and respond to one another.
This trains metacognition (thinking about their own thinking), not just reading.
Digital research & data visualisation:
Make inquiry an everyday reality, not a rare, resource-heavy “special project.”
Virtual field trips:
Give access to contexts schools can’t physically visit, widening global perspectives.
Adaptive learning platforms (e.g. Knewton-like, DreamBox, Kamingo):
Automatically differentiate pace, content and modality → real personalisation.
Accessibility tools:
Screen readers, real-time translation, multimodal outputs (video, podcast, written) remove barriers so skill, not format, becomes the focus.
He calls this the “inclusion dividend” of technology:
When the goal is capability (e.g. argumentation), tech can remove access barriers (language, reading speed, sensory issues) so more students can actually demonstrate that capability.
3. Changing the teacher role
Let technology handle routine and data tracking.
Free teachers to:
Coach
Debate with students
Give nuanced feedback
Build relationships
4. Reimagining assessment
Move from assessment of learning (high-stakes, end-of-course, lots of stress)
to assessment for learning (iterative, feedback-rich, growth-oriented).
He emphasises:
Authenticity – tasks that look like real-world problems.
Choice – students can show learning via:
digital portfolios
performance tasks
video, podcast, presentation, etc.
When intent, pedagogy and assessment are all aligned around skills and inclusion, and technology is used as a scaffold, not a distraction, you get truly future-ready learning.
3. Main entities & where they fit
Segment host & main organizer
Principals Academy Inc. (PAI), Singapore
Professional learning and consultancy for school leaders and educators (Joseph Loy, Simon Reynolds and Mr. An Lu are all linked to PAI).
👉 https://pai.sg/ Barnes & Noble
1) Simon Reynolds – Inclusion & Special Educational Needs
Key entities & references
Principals Academy Inc. (PAI) – host/organizer of the Singapore segment
👉 https://pai.sg/ Barnes & Noble
Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) – context for his work in curriculum and SEN
👉 https://www.moe.gov.sg nas.gov.sg
National Institute of Education (NIE), Singapore – where he teaches and supervises practicum
👉 https://www.nie.edu.sg
PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports) – framework he cites for school-wide behavior and inclusion
👉 https://www.pbis.org ies.ed.gov
MTSS – Multi-Tiered System of Supports – the tiered support structure he describes
👉 https://www.pbis.org/topics/multi-tiered-system-supports-mtss
Evidence-based SEN strategies (book he recommends):
What Really Works in Special and Inclusive Education – David Mitchell (Routledge)
👉 https://www.routledge.com/What-Really-Works-in-Special-and-Inclusive-Education-Using-Evidence-Based/Mitchell/p/book/9780415623230 principals.academy
2) Prof. Er Meng Hwa – Brain-based Learning & Higher-Order Thinking in the AI Era
(The transcript calls him “Erning Hua”; the speaker is Prof. Er Meng Hwa, former Deputy President of NTU.)
Key entities & references
Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore
👉 https://www.ntu.edu.sg lepaya.com
Brain-based learning principles – Caine & Caine
Overview article often cited: “Understanding a Brain-Based Approach to Learning and Teaching” (Educational Leadership / ASCD)
👉 https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/understanding-a-brain-based-approach-to-learning-and-teaching
Bloom’s Taxonomy – for lower vs. higher-order thinking skills
👉 https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/ tea.texas.gov
World Economic Forum – Future of Jobs & Top 10 Skills 2025
(Source of the 2025 skills list he references.)
👉 WEF report page (via summary): https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-report-2020 IMF
3) Mr. An Lu – Future-Ready Curriculum, Technology & Inclusion
Key entities & tools he mentions
Principals Academy Inc. (PAI) – his consultancy base
👉 https://pai.sg/ Barnes & Noble
Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) – where he served as principal and director (CPDD & EdTech)
👉 https://www.moe.gov.sg nas.gov.sg
Social / collaborative annotation tools (for critical thinking & metacognition):
Hypothesis – web annotation for education
👉 https://web.hypothes.is/
Perusall – social e-reading platform
👉 https://perusall.com/
Adaptive / personalized learning platforms (for math & self-paced work):
DreamBox Learning
👉 https://www.dreambox.com/
Khan Academy / Khanmigo (AI-enhanced tutoring)
👉 https://www.khanacademy.org/khan-labs
San Francisco segment – short summary
This segment is hosted by Dr. Juan Carlos Arauz (E3: Education, Excellence & Equity). He weaves his personal story (Brazil–Nicaragua–USA, foster/adoptive parenting, family roots) into a powerful case for moving from measuring students as “smart” to recognizing their inherent brilliance.
He presents E3’s tools for helping young people see their own strengths through “cultural resilience” competencies (innovation, adaptability, cross-cultural communication, critical analysis, teamwork) and shows how schools can track and nurture these alongside academic content.
In the second half, he introduces the Ecosystem Collective: a global network of small, purpose-driven organizations that commit to reciprocal trust, gratitude, and generosity, using distributive leadership, restorative practices, and a “gift-economy” model backed by a shared endowment.
The Q&A with you touches on:
How K-12 schools (e.g. The Branson School) are building time, spaces, and partnerships to “grow good humans.”
His own purpose journey from crisis (poverty, violence, school failure) and later privilege (time to study and reflect) — shifting from fighting against to fighting for something.
Using neuroscience, epigenetics, and quantum entanglement as metaphors for human interconnection and the power of love vs fear.
Why AI should be a key ally for social-justice-minded educators, like gunpowder that can be used for harm or for fireworks — and why the “soft skills” of empathy, conflict-resolution, and human connection are, in fact, the hard core of education in an AI world.
Key ideas / highlights
From “smart” to “brilliant”
Smart = externally defined, test-based metric.
Brilliance = each person’s unique way of shining, rooted in their lived experience, culture, and gifts.
Education’s Latin root educere (“to bring out”) is reframed as the mission to bring out brilliance, not just transmit content.
Cultural Resilience framework in schools
Five competencies: innovation, adaptability, cross-cultural communication, critical analysis, teamwork.
Students map life experiences (migration, poverty, big family, sports, multilingualism, etc.) to these skills, often via a survey and reflection process.
Teachers then observe and log these competencies weekly, so students see themselves as capable before they tackle challenging content.
Overcoming fear and conflict
Barriers: labels (“most likely to fail”, “gifted”), the amygdala (fight/flight/freeze/appease), and “cultural collisions”.
Tools: authentic listening (the Japanese kanji idea of listening with ears, eyes, heart, attention, and mind), and Paulo Freire’s critical consciousness (aligning beliefs, behaviors, and institutional structures).
The Ecosystem Collective
A network of small organizations around the world (education, arts, community, youth) that:
Practice distributive leadership (shared decision-making).
Use restorative justice rather than purely punitive responses.
Experiment with a gift economy backed by a shared endowment, so they can serve communities without being driven by scarcity and competition.
Goal: build an “organic” ecosystem of organizations that spread brilliance, hope, and joy, analogous to how organic farms and stores slowly changed the food system.
Why AI matters for this work
AI is described as a powerful tool that will definitely be used for harm, so educators who care about justice and humanity must learn to use it for good.
He personally uses AI as a thought partner to organize ideas and deepen his own reflective practice.
Core claim: AI can handle content, but only humans can teach how to be human and navigate conflict — which makes SEL, empathy, and purpose central, not peripheral.
Entities & URLs mentioned
Organizations / programs
E3: Education, Excellence & Equity – Dr. Arauz’s organization focused on identifying and nurturing student brilliance and cultural resilience.
Facebook page (currently the main public presence):
https://www.facebook.com/E3EducationExcellenceEquity branson.org
The Branson School – Independent college-preparatory day school in Ross, California, where Juan Carlos works on “growing good humans” through advisory, retreats, and reflection. branson.org
https://www.branson.org
Ever Forward Club (Ashanti Branch) – Youth organization working especially with young men of color to help them “take off the mask”, build emotional literacy, and community. branson.org
https://everforwardclub.org
Orquesta de Instrumentos Reciclados de Cateura / Recycled Orchestra of Cateura (Fabio Chávez, Paraguay) – Youth orchestra that builds instruments from landfill materials and has become a global symbol of creativity and resilience. branson.org
https://recycledorchestracateura.com
The Learnerspace – Your organization, dedicated to shaping the future of learning and helping schools redesign education for the AI era. 24hforchange.education
https://thelearnerspace.org
HumanEdu – Retreat/conference experience at The Garzón School (Uruguay), bringing educators together to reconnect with purpose, nature, and one another. The official site is referenced in event promo as: Instagram
https://humanedu.org
Ecosystem Collective – The emergent global network that E3 is convening, bringing together small nonprofits and initiatives (education, arts, quilombo communities, youth work, etc.) around reciprocal trust, gratitude, generosity, restorative practices, and a shared endowment. (Mentioned in the talk as a named initiative; current info is mainly via E3 channels and partners rather than a separate public site.)
Other entities referenced (no clear single public URL found)
These were named in the segment but I wasn’t able to confidently match them to a unique official website (there are multiple orgs with similar names):
Dispto – Brazilian project working with quilombo communities (Afro-descendant communities); described as part of the Ecosystem Collective.
Big Shots (Corey Wallace) – Initiative that uses basketball as an entry point for youth development.
Sacred Seasons – Another purpose-driven organization in the Collective.
Local Bay Area organizations in the collective (not all explicitly named in the tra
This Educator Spotlight brings together Peter Foster (principal at The Industry School in Queensland, Australia) and Jorge Zavala (Mexican-born Silicon Valley entrepreneur) to explore how schools and startups can prepare young people to solve real problems, embrace failure, and build meaningful, balanced lives—not just chase grades, diplomas, or unicorn valuations.
1. What this conversation is about
Moving from a purely academic school model to industry-immersed, highly personalized education (The Industry School / Australian Industry Trade College). Wikipedia
Students combining real work (industry placements, start-ups, equine academy) with academics, and discovering purpose through doing, not just sitting in class.
Disruptive learning & entrepreneurship: start from a problem you really care about, use AI as a mentor/tool, and build something real—even as a first-semester student. jesusgaxiola.com+1
Failure, resilience, and critical thinking as core learning outcomes, not side-effects.
Well-being & purpose: work–life balance for entrepreneurs and students, and redefining success as creating value for others.
2. Key ideas from Peter Foster & The Industry School
From elite academic college → “deliberately different” industry school
Peter describes his evolution from leading a highly academic school focused on scores to leading The Industry School, where the priority is developing human beings with “will and skill”:
Will = attitude, resilience, determination, gratitude
Skill = technical, academic, and employability skills built on top of that
The Industry School model:
Years 10–12, ~1,200+ students (multiple Queensland campuses, including Brisbane). Wikipedia
Students alternate between blocks of school and blocks of industry (equine, construction, marine, energy, etc.).
Every student has a personalised pathway—success is defined at their level, not by a one-size-fits-all bell curve.
Student voices: Charlie & Evie (Equine Academy)
Charlie: moved from a traditional school where she struggled and had low grades.
At The Industry School her grades went from C’s to A’s, largely because she could combine academics with real work in racing stables and a vet nurse traineeship.
Evie: decided early she didn’t want the university path.
Values learning real-world skills: budgeting for moving out, writing a CV, mock interviews, and hands-on equine work.
Both emphasise:
Supportive teachers
Autonomy to “create my own path”
Learning things they will actually use.
How the model works day to day
Industry consultants work alongside teachers; they liaise with employers, track what happens in workplaces, and feed this back into school.
A well-being system with vertical groups (Years 10–11–12 together) plus a dedicated mentor who tracks each student’s academics, industry progress, family context, and wellbeing.
Phones are banned during the day; students must communicate face-to-face, read body language, and solve problems without escaping into screens.
Failure is expected and accepted:
Example: a student running her own florist business as part of Year 12 “certreneurship”—if the business fails, that’s treated as learning, with explicit reflection.
Strong emphasis on service and social justice: students volunteer locally (aged care, animals, etc.) and abroad (e.g., building houses in Cambodia) to experience contributing to something bigger than themselves. Wikipedia
Peter’s closing message
Education should overturn the 17th-century classroom factory model and move to individualised, purpose-driven pathways.
We must explicitly teach resilience (getting up after failure) and gratitude (for life, nature, opportunities), not just content.
3. Key ideas from Jorge Zavala (Silicon Valley entrepreneur)
Who he is
A serial entrepreneur in electronics, AI, and technology, active in Mexico and Silicon Valley.
Author of “Think like Silicon Valley, being anywhere”, focused on bringing a Silicon Valley mindset to entrepreneurs outside the US. Luis Almanza’s Blog
Currently:
Uses AI to help people create startups.
Runs programs for people in or near retirement to figure out “what’s next” in their lives. jesusgaxiola.com
Disruptive learning & AI
Distinguishes teaching (teacher-centered) from learning (student-centered):
“Do you teach them or do they learn?”
Describes an experiment in Cancun with first-semester university students:
6 students, 8 weeks, split into two teams.
Task: choose a real problem you care about, then use AI and weekly mentoring to build an app that addresses it.
One team built a working prototype game to help manage attention deficit.
Core principles from that experiment:
Start from the student’s own problem and curiosity.
Use AI as a coach/mentor, not as a replacement for thinking.
Failure is normal; the key is to reflect (post-mortem): what worked, what didn’t, what to try next.
What schools are missing & what the market values
Schools still treat a bad grade as a dead end, not as data for learning.
In real innovation ecosystems, failure is an expected part of progress—what matters is what you learn and how you adapt.
Skills he sees as most critical:
Leadership (deciding and moving forward)
Communication (building messages that actually land, and reading whether you’re engaging others)
Creativity (new ways to reach goals)
Critical thinking (validating information, especially in the age of AI)
Humility (admitting “I don’t know,” changing your mind when wrong)
Redefining success & value
Many in Latin America and elsewhere confuse success with winning competitions and demo days—he calls this “in-premiums” (chasing prizes and diplomas to hang on a wall).
In Silicon Valley, serious entrepreneurs:
Define success up front in measurable terms (e.g., 25 active users by date X, then 1,000 paying users).
Focus on creating value—solving real problems in ways that clearly improve people’s lives.
Shares personal examples:
Early career projects helped automate electricity distribution and water systems—every time someone turns on the light or a tap, his systems are part of making that possible. That sense of contribution is more meaningful than the financial reward.
Work–life balance & wellbeing
Rejects the myth that a serious entrepreneur must destroy their personal life.
Argues for focused presence:
When you’re with your family, be fully with your family.
When you work, work with full focus.
Time off—coffee with friends, walks in nature, reading—is not a luxury but a precondition for good thinking and creativity.
4. Cross-cutting themes
Across Peter and Jorge’s very different contexts, there’s strong agreement on:
Learning > teaching
The key is teaching people how to learn and adapt, not stuffing them with fixed content.
Failure as feedback
Reflection and post-mortems after failure are essential; schools should normalise this.
Purpose and value creation
Students and entrepreneurs should aim to solve problems that matter, aligning their work with personal meaning and social impact.
Critical thinking in an AI world
AI makes knowledge abundant; what matters is how we select, evaluate, and use that knowledge.
Contribution to the greater good
Whether through service trips, local volunteering, infrastructure projects, or social startups, the goal is to leave the world better than you found it.
5. Entities & links you might want to include
YouTube segment
24h for Change in Education – Educator Spotlight (Peter Foster & Jorge Zavala)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqg39Gx-Dr8
Schools / organisations
The Industry School (formerly Australian Industry Trade College) – independent senior school in Queensland offering industry-immersed education for Years 10–12. Wikipedia
Homepage: https://theindustryschool.com.au/
People
Peter Foster – principal at The Industry School (Brisbane campus), championing industry-based, personalised education in Australia. Wikipedia
Jorge Zavala – Mexican-born Silicon Valley entrepreneur, author of Think like Silicon Valley, being anywhere and promoter of disruptive, AI-enhanced learning and entrepreneurship.
Mexico – Segment Summary (24h for Change in Education)
1. Hosts & framing
Segment hosted in Spanish by “El Educateco” (Archu) from Sensei Learning, presenting himself as a luchador with the motto “lucha por la educación” – a call to “fight” for better education in Mexico.
Two big threads:
Concrete innovation in a single school (Colegio Simón Bolívar, Tepic, Nayarit).
A national-level teacher community sharing best practice: The Coaches Couch.
2. Colegio Simón Bolívar (Tepic, Nayarit)
School profile
Private, secular, trilingual, innovative school near the Pacific coast (Tepic, Nayarit).
Uses technology to enhance teaching and learning, with:
Strong digital culture.
Socio-emotional education and student wellbeing.
Service and environmental projects (“think global, act local”).
Monthly tech-supported continuous professional development for teachers.
Values: respect, freedom, responsibility, equity, justice.
X (Twitter) handle mentioned: @csdoficial.
2.1. Tech + Art: Drawing Guide Project (Gabriela Michel Terán)
Gabi Michel, plastic arts teacher and active visual artist.
Earlier project: “Ecos de Nayarit” – solo exhibition + colouring fanzine based on local legends.
Innovation highlighted: a digital drawing guide/book for:
Teachers, students, and anyone wanting to improve drawing.
Focused on simplifying the drawing process with technology.
Key ideas
Students use tablets/phones to:
Take a reference photo.
Overlay guiding lines and basic shapes (rectangles, circles, triangles, trapezoids).
They then replicate those shapes by hand on paper, turning complex objects into simple geometry.
Also uses black-and-white / grayscale filters on photos to clearly see light, shadow, and volume before shading.
Impact & conclusions
Tech becomes a pedagogical ally, not a replacement:
Classes are more interactive and engaging.
Students lose the fear of “I can’t draw” and see drawing as accessible and enjoyable.
The classroom becomes a hybrid studio where analog and digital “talk to each other”.
Gabi herself moved from initial resistance to embracing tech as something that enhances traditional art teaching.
She created the guide following a clear process: outline/“skeleton”, small focused volumes, collect classroom evidence, and publish it as an accessible digital resource (shared via QR/link in the slides).
2.2. Tech + PE: “Mi primer podcast deportivo” (Oscar – PE teacher)
Óscar Buenasencia, PE teacher, wanted PE to be more than exercise:
He noticed many students saw PE as just “recess”, not serious learning.
Goal: connect the physical, mental, emotional and social dimensions of sport.
The project: a student-run sports podcast
Title: “Mi primer podcast deportivo” – created by secondary students.
Students work in teams of 4–5 with defined roles:
Presenter – guides the conversation.
Analyst – interprets statistics and performance.
Researcher – gathers background info.
Tech lead – sound, script order, recording.
Topics are student-chosen: football, volleyball, motorsport (Formula 1), etc.
Tools
iPad + apps like Safari, Pages, Voice Memos, GarageBand to:
Research.
Write scripts.
Record and edit episodes.
Results
Recorded 10 episodes, published on Spotify as “Mi primer podcast deportivo” (students from Colegio Simón Bolívar).
~450+ plays, ~80% listeners in Mexico, ~20% in the US, with community comments.
Most popular episode: “Cuando el deporte no es lo tuyo” –
4 students who don’t like sports (2 introverts, 2 extroverts).
Shows how even “non-sporty” students can find their voice through reflection and storytelling about sport.
Clear growth in confidence, communication, planning, synthesis and critical thinking.
Next steps
For the new school year:
More structured format with timed segments:
Data/statistics.
Short interviews (parents or teachers).
Opinion & reflection.
Aim: form students who can plan, listen, synthesize, and express ideas – using sport as the context but building transferable skills for any field.
Oscar’s closing idea: innovating is not changing everything, but looking at the same thing with new eyes; PE becomes a space to think, communicate, and share, not just move.
3. The Coaches Couch – Teacher Community
What it is
The Coaches Couch (de Coaches Couch):
A non-profit, volunteer community of educators and coaches.
Created to share pedagogical best practices, especially around technology and innovation, and to support teachers.
Founding team includes Gerson and Ever Gómez, both Apple Learning Coaches and Apple ambassadors, plus other coaches from several Mexican states.
Origins & purpose
Started after an Apple Learning Coach–type training where several coaches realised:
There was little communication and peer support among Mexican teachers.
There was a huge, underused pool of talent and ideas.
From the beginning it was inter-regional (Nayarit, CDMX, Estado de México, Querétaro, etc.).
How it works
Central question: “¿Cómo estás transformando la educación en lo que haces?”
Process:
Call for speakers in their networks.
Co-design the message and structure in virtual planning meetings.
Rehearsal: adjust emphasis, clarify ideas; content stays authentic.
Live webinar (about 60 minutes):
Intro & agenda.
Usually 3 presenters × ~15 minutes each.
Q&A and open discussion at the end to connect presenters and participants.
Tools: video calls, mobile devices, time-keeping, and a documented workflow (before/during/after, recognition certificates for participants).
Season 1 – Impact
8 sessions, 24 presenters, average ~25 attendees per session.
Topics included:
Learning experience design.
Critical thinking.
Interdisciplinary projects.
Evidence-based assessment.
Teacher collaboration.
Diversity & inclusion.
Digital citizenship.
Pedagogical storytelling, etc.
Outcomes:
New alliances between teachers, spin-off projects.
Stronger support networks.
A culture of shared reflection, not just one-way “talks”.
Season 2 & vision
Mission: maintain and expand a global reference community of educators.
Three “T”s they highlight:
Tiempo – everyone donates some time.
Técnica – each presenter brings a real area of expertise.
Tribu – building a tribe that crosses regions and borders.
Ongoing open invitation for teachers worldwide to:
Share a bit of their technique.
Donate some time.
Join the tribe in future sessions (they mentioned an upcoming session on Dec 17, 7 p.m. Mexico City time).
4. Entities & URLs mentioned (from the segment)
24h for Change in Education – Mexico segment
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7yVVfuQnKQ
Colegio Simón Bolívar (Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico)
X (Twitter): @csdoficial (mentioned in the talk).
Drawing guide by Gabriela Michel Terán
Shared via QR code / link in her slides (no explicit URL spoken; audience invited to download the first volume).
Podcast “Mi primer podcast deportivo”
Available on Spotify – they suggest searching “Mi primer podcast deportivo Colegio Simón Bolívar” to find it.
The Coaches Couch
Non-profit online community; contact shared via X handles and email on their closing slide (no specific URL read aloud, but they encourage following them on social media and joining sessions).
Summary – OECD Schools+ Project
In this segment, Paola Rodríguez Sánchez, research associate at the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills, presents the OECD Schools+ project and its flagship report “Unlocking High-Quality Teaching”. The project asks a central question: what does high-quality teaching actually look like in practice, across countries and contexts, and how can we support it systemically? OECD
She situates Schools+ in today’s global challenges: climate change, natural disasters, and the rapid spread of generative AI are reshaping what students need to learn, how they learn, and the spaces where learning happens. At the same time, PISA 2022 shows a sharp decline in mathematics and reading performance between 2018 and 2022, and worrying weaknesses in students’ capacity for lifelong learning (for example, explaining how they solved problems or connecting new and prior knowledge).
To respond, Schools+ developed a taxonomy of high-quality teaching: five overarching goals
Fostering rich classroom interaction
Ensuring cognitive engagement
Using formative assessment and feedback
Crafting high-quality subject content
Providing social-emotional support
Under these goals sit specific classroom practices, only included if backed by solid research and relevant across ages, subjects and cultures. OECD
The taxonomy was co-created through a multi-year process: OECD teams, international experts, and over 150 schools from 40 countries in a “learning circle” network refined the framework, checked whether it reflected classroom reality, and helped translate research language into a common, usable language for teachers. OECD
For teachers, the report doesn’t prescribe a method but offers a reflective guide: for each practice (e.g. feedback), it defines what it is, summarizes the best evidence, lists key decisions to consider (“Is feedback timely and focused?”, “Do students act on it?”), and describes what it looks like when the practice is working (e.g. students independently using feedback). It also includes signposts for school leaders about how leadership, class size, allocation of teachers, support teachers, and partnerships beyond the school all shape whether a practice is feasible. OECD
Paola stresses that improving teaching is not a solo effort: system-level policies and school-level organization are crucial. Schools+ therefore identifies seven policy areas at school level (like how teachers are allocated to learners) and shows how these interact with the taxonomy. It also explicitly maps each practice and its student outcomes to the OECD Learning Compass 2030, aligning classroom practice with the broader vision of future-ready competencies. OECD
Finally, she presents the Schools+ Circle, an online platform where teachers can explore the taxonomy, comment on it, and browse “inspiring practices”—real examples from classrooms around the world, with descriptions of resources, assessment approaches, impact evidence, and challenges. The idea is that teachers can adapt these to their own contexts, recognizing that while contexts differ, the core challenges and hopes of educators are remarkably similar. OECD
Throughout the dialogue, you (Gabriel) highlight how this work offers a shared DNA of great teaching and how AI could, in the future, help propagate this taxonomy to remote or under-resourced contexts, potentially narrowing equity gaps—if we learn to use AI thoughtfully rather than just deploy it.
Entities mentioned
People
Paola Rodríguez Sánchez – Research Associate, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills; presenter of the Schools+ project and co-author of the report “Unlocking High-Quality Teaching”. OECD
Gabriel Rshaid – Host of the segment and participant in the OECD Schools+ project’s international school network.
Teachers & school leaders quoted (no full names given in the transcript, but referenced as):
A teacher from Avenor College, Romania OECD
A teacher from George Elliot Secondary School, Canada
A headteacher from Kellett School / Kerry Academy in the UK
A teacher/director from a school in India who submitted an “inspiring practice”
Organizations / Projects
OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) – International organization leading the Schools+ project. OECD
OECD Directorate for Education and Skills – OECD directorate responsible for education work, including PISA, TALIS and Schools+. OECD
OECD Schools+ Project – Multi-year project to build a shared evidence-based understanding of high-quality teaching and how to support it system-wide. OECD
“Unlocking High-Quality Teaching: OECD Schools+ report” – Main publication presenting the teaching taxonomy, evidence base, and policy implications (available in English and Spanish). OECD
Schools+ Learning Circle – Network of 150+ schools in 40 countries that co-created and reviewed the taxonomy and report. OECD
OECD Schools+ Circle – Online platform for teachers with the taxonomy, commentary functions, and “inspiring practices” library. OECD
PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) – OECD assessment showing the recent decline in student performance (PISA 2022).
TALIS Video Study – OECD video study on teaching practices, referenced as evidence that instruction quality often lags behind social-emotional support and classroom management. OECD
OECD Learning Compass 2030 – OECD’s broader framework for student knowledge, skills, attitudes and values; Schools+ maps its practices to the Compass.
Useful URLs
Segment video
24h for Change in Education – OECD Schools+ Project segment (YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHvuzeYnXTw
OECD core resources
Unlocking High-Quality Teaching: OECD Schools+ report (overview + links to English & Spanish versions, and related materials) OECD
https://www.oecd.org/education/unlocking-high-quality-teaching-oecd-schools-plus.htm
OECD Schools+ Circle – Online platform for the taxonomy and inspiring practices (accessible from the same Schools+ page above; look for “Schools+ Circle” / “Inspiring practices”). OECD
Contextual OECD references
PISA 2022 Results – Decline in performance between 2018 and 2022 and the broader analysis of student learning outcomes.
https://www.oecd.org/pisa/
OECD Learning Compass 2030 – Framework connecting Schools+ practices to broader student competencies.
https://www.oecd.org/education/2030-project/
1. Ontario Principals Council & framing
Host: Ontario Principals Council (OPC) president Jeff Maharaj.
OPC represents ~5,000 principals and vice-principals in Ontario’s publicly funded schools and focuses on advocacy, professional learning, and resources that help create safe, inclusive, engaging schools. Wikipedia
Jeff links the segment to global challenges (rapid change, technology, equity, belonging) and introduces three Ontario examples:
Indigenous land-based learning in Durham DSB
Pathways & experiential learning (30 Credits My Way, SHSM) in Durham DSB
Black excellence & industry partnerships in Peel DSB
2. Indigenous land-based learning – Durham District School Board
Speakers:
Don White – System leader / centrally assigned principal for Indigenous Education & Outdoor Education, Durham DSB
Badabin Peltier – Knowledge holder (Indigenize), working with DDSB and Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation
Key ideas:
Work is grounded in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), especially articles on land, culture, language, and self-determination.
Emphasis that territorial acknowledgements must be tied to action, not just scripted words.
Programs for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students:
Land-based learning programs (e.g. Akinomaag- / “Akin” programs) where students:
Learn on the land with Indigenous knowledge holders
Build relationships with self, others, and place
Connect Ontario curriculum to Indigenous ways of knowing
Student circles in schools to connect culture, land, and language.
Dual-credit / alternative pathway programs that blend:
Secondary school credits
College / university credit
Learning from and with the land
Concept of Indigenous education sovereignty:
Creating safe spaces for Indigenous paradigms inside public systems
Centering local nations (e.g., Mississaugas of Scugog Island) and preparing “future ancestors.”
Don connects this to Elder Albert Marshall’s “Two-Eyed Seeing”: bringing together Indigenous and Western knowledge systems so Indigenous students can access education that honors their rights under UNDRIP.
3. “30 Credits My Way” & Specialist High Skills Majors – Durham DSB
Speaker:
Monique (Monique) Mueller – System lead for Student Success (Grades 7–12), Durham DSB
Key ideas:
Student Success team supports grades 7–12 pathways toward graduation + next steps (workplace, apprenticeship, college, university).
Traditional view of success as a straight line is wrong; real pathways include detours, setbacks, and re-routes. Schools must help students navigate that.
3.1 “30 Credits My Way”
Ontario’s diploma requires 30 credits; DDSB created “30 Credits My Way” as a one-stop, interactive roadmap where:
Students and families see all pathway options: co-op, paid co-op, SHSM, OYAP, dual credits, e-learning, alternative and continuing education, etc.ddsb.ca
They can customize their high-school journey: part-time, full-time, night school, online, co-op, etc.
Three credential pathways are acknowledged:
Ontario Secondary School Diploma
Certificate of Achievement
Ontario Secondary School Certificate
DDSB is integrating this roadmap with MyBlueprint (course-selection platform) and building an AI assistant so students can type goals (e.g., “I want X university program” / “I need flexible timetable”) and get tailored course and program combinations.
3.2 Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM)
SHSM: province-wide Ontario program where students “major” in a sector (e.g., Construction, Health & Wellness, Arts & Culture, Aviation & Aerospace, Business, Energy, Hospitality & Tourism, etc.).principals.ca
In DDSB:
19 sectors with bundles of required courses
2-credit co-op
Sector-specific certifications (e.g., Working at Heights, CPR/First Aid, infection control, ladder safety, customer service)
Reach-ahead experiences (field trips, workshops, contacts with employers)
When completed, students earn a red SHSM seal on their diploma; many post-secondary institutions offer scholarships or admission advantages to SHSM grads.
Example project:
Maxwell Heights Secondary School students (Construction SHSM) partnered with the Oshawa Zoo to design and build animal structures, combining real-world community service with sector skills.
Overall: SHSM and 30 Credits My Way make pathways visible, flexible, and experiential, giving students both credentials and clarity.
4. Peel District School Board – Centre for Black Excellence & Swirl partnerships
Main speakers:
Raquel Walker – Coordinating principal for African, Black and Afro-Caribbean Student Success, Peel DSB
Steve Kennleyside – Principal, Cawthra Park Secondary School
Omari Rhoden – Principal, Rick Hansen Secondary School
K. (“Kay”) – Founder/representative of Swirl, an education-industry partnership platform
student Leamese from Rick Hansen SS, and references to Peel DSB Director Rashmi Swarup
4.1 Centre for Black Excellence (Peel DSB)
The Centre for Black Excellence implements Peel’s Black Student Success Strategy and multi-year strategic plan.
Philosophy anchored in the Maasai expression “Kasserian Ingera?” – “How are the children?”: the well-being of children is the measure of community health.
Principles:
Black student success is not accidental – it requires intentional design.
Work is student-centered: identity, culture, brilliance, and care are at the core.
Equity work must focus on outcomes, not just “good processes.”
Community partnerships (parents, creators, businesses, organizations) are part of a co-education ecosystem, not an add-on.
They design learning experiences that:
Affirm identity and belonging
Build confidence and academic success
Dismantle systemic racism and inequities
Engage students in authentic challenges with mentors who look like them and share lived experiences.
4.2 Swirl – brand-funded, work-integrated learning
Swirl was created to respond to the global education funding gap, redirecting some corporate marketing budgets into:
Work-integrated learning projects in schools
Unrestricted funding for districts and programs
Examples described:
Students designing campaigns/products for real brands (e.g., spices, STEM products, sports events), with teachers’ oversight and parent consent.
Projects in which corporate money that would normally go to ad agencies instead funds student learning experiences and district initiatives.
4.3 Rick Hansen Secondary School – “Pelle Pelle” spices project
Students partnered with the Pelle Pelle spice company:
Visited the factory, learned how spices are produced and sourced.
Created their own spice blends and used them in a cooking challenge (appetizer, main, dessert, refresher) with limited ingredients – fostering creativity and problem-solving.
Investigated health benefits of spices (minerals, vitamins).
Participated in a filmed boot camp / docuseries, gaining media and presentation experience.
Principal Omari highlights:
The power of authentic, community-based learning.
How students were stretched beyond comfort zones, showing their capacity when given real responsibility.
4.4 Cawthra Park Secondary School – arts & regenerative farming
Cawthra Park is a regional arts school (dance, drama, music, visual arts).
In partnership with Providence Farm (regenerative farm near Kitchener–Waterloo), students:
Co-designed a sustainability / environmental stewardship campaign – “We’re all in this together.”
Acted as creative directors, developing about 10 different campaign concepts.
Connected arts, environmental science, and global citizenship, aligning with Peel’s multi-year strategic plan on environmental education.
Outcome:
Students not only learn about sustainability, they lead it, gaining professional-level portfolio pieces and experience working with an external client.
5. Closing reflections
Lawrence de Mayor (OPC Professional Learning Team):
Thanks the school teams and highlights recurring themes:
Student success defined as confidence, resilience, and readiness for life, not only grades.
Education as a living, evolving system, shaped by community and student needs.
Leadership that is responsive, relationship-centered, and equity-driven.
The Ontario segment ends by handing over the livestream to Mexico, reinforcing the global, continuous nature of the 24h for Change in Education event.
Main entities & people (Ontario segment)
Ontario Principals Council (OPC) – professional association for Ontario principals & vice-principals; organiser of the Ontario segment. Wikipedia
Jeff Maharaj – President, OPC; host of the segment.
Lawrence de Mayor – OPC Professional Learning Team; provides closing reflections.
Durham District School Board (DDSB) – large school board east of Toronto, serving multiple municipalities. Wikipedia
Don White – System lead / centrally assigned principal for Indigenous Education & Outdoor Education, DDSB.
Badabin Peltier – Indigenous knowledge holder (Indigenize), works with DDSB and Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation on land-based programs.
Monique (Monique) Mueller – System lead for Student Success (Grades 7–12), DDSB; leads 30 Credits My Way and SHSM pathways.
30 Credits My Way – DDSB initiative to help students plan their 30 secondary credits flexibly via an interactive roadmap integrated with MyBlueprint and (soon) AI support. ddsb.ca
Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) – Ontario Ministry program allowing students to “major” in a sector with co-op, certifications, and a red seal on the diploma. principals.ca
Maxwell Heights Secondary School – DDSB school; collaborates with Oshawa Zoo on construction SHSM projects.
Peel District School Board (PDSB) – large board west of Toronto (Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon). Facebook
Centre for Black Excellence (PDSB) – central hub for the Black Student Success Strategy and equity work in Peel.
Raquel Walker – Coordinating principal for African, Black and Afro-Caribbean Student Success, PDSB; leads the Centre for Black Excellence.
Steve Kennleyside – Principal, Cawthra Park Secondary School (regional arts school, PDSB).
Omari Rhoden – Principal, Rick Hansen Secondary School (PDSB).
Leamese – Student at Rick Hansen SS who shared her experience in the Pelle Pelle spices project.
Swirl – education-industry partnership platform that connects brands and districts to fund work-integrated learning and close the education funding gap (as described by Kay in the session).
Providence Farm – regenerative farm in the Kitchener–Waterloo region; partner in Cawthra Park’s sustainability campaign.
Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation – local First Nation working closely with DDSB on land-based learning and Indigenous education.
Useful URLs (for your notes / follow-up)
Ontario Principals Council (OPC) – official site:
https://www.principals.ca Wikipedia
Durham District School Board – main site (programs incl. SHSM & 30 Credits My Way):
https://www.ddsb.ca Wikipedia
DDSB – 30 Credits My Way information (interactive roadmap & overview):
https://www.ddsb.ca/en/programs-and-learning/30-credits-my-way.aspx ddsb.ca
Peel District School Board – main site:
https://www.peelschools.org Facebook
Philly (Philippa), from Albany Senior High School, explains that in Aotearoa New Zealand it is tikanga (cultural etiquette) to open formal gatherings with a karakia (blessing).
She reads a blessing that calls the winds from all directions, symbolically gathering diverse voices into a shared space for the conversations ahead.
1.2. Maui and the sun – a metaphor for change in education
Philly uses her 8-year-old son Archie’s drawing of the sun to introduce the Māui story where Māui and his brothers slow the sun so people can fully live their lives.
She links Aotearoa and Hawai‘i, noting that Māui is a central figure in both Māori and Hawaiian mythologies, symbolically connecting the first and last segments of the marathon.
The story becomes a metaphor for education: amidst relentless policy noise and system pressures, educators need to “slow the sun” to stay focused on what matters—human connection, community, and preparing young people for their futures.
She cites the whakataukī: turn and face the sun and your shadows will fall behind you, positioning this as a guiding idea for educators globally.
1.3. Stonefields School – vision, “Breakthrough” and student agency
Context
Hope Griffin, principal at Stonefields School in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), opens with a performance by the school’s kapa haka rōpū (Māori performing arts group).
She presents the school’s vision as its “guiding star”, structured around four “vision rocks”:
Building learning capacity – growth mindset, identity, resilience, wellbeing.
Collaborating – kindness, perspective taking, working towards shared outcomes.
Making meaning – curiosity, inquiry, creativity through a clear learning process.
Breakthrough – identifying strengths, mastering passions, and contributing to community.
Curriculum and entitlement
Stonefields has co-constructed “essence statements” and a curriculum entitlement balancing:
Foundation knowledge and conceptual understanding.
Capabilities: problem solving, learning dispositions, and learner agency.
The Breakthrough Challenge
Breakthrough is a structured opportunity for learners to pursue passions, physical challenges, and social impact. The Student Council created three challenge streams:
Passion Project – pursue an area of personal passion.
Physical Challenge – set and meet significant fitness/physical goals.
Social Impact – make a positive contribution to community and environment.
Four students describe their Breakthrough journeys:
Toby –
Passion: designed, tested, and produced a printed recipe book based on her love of cooking and baking.
Physical challenge: 2 km continuous running and 5.5 km continuous biking, tracking distance and times.
Social impact: gardening and tree mulching at school with her mother (the school gardener) and participating in a council-run native planting day with her family.
Thea –
Physical challenge: achieve 70 continuous skips, practising before/after school and on weekends.
Social impact: created a times-tables card game to help younger learners.
Passion project: designed and built a moon-shaped shelf.
She emphasises determination, collaboration, and persistence in the “learning pit”.
Charlotte –
Completed all three challenge areas and strongly used Stonefields’ learner qualities (especially reflection and determination).
She describes moving through the school’s learning process (build knowledge → make meaning → apply understanding), and says Breakthrough has grown her agency, resilience, and confidence in giving back.
Matteo –
Physical project: filmed and explained drills to build footwork and endurance.
Passion project: transitioned from recorder to clarinet and joined an orchestra trip to play with the Auckland Philharmonia.
Community project: led a Filipino parol (lantern) workshop for younger learners, sharing his culture.
He stresses agency, determination, leadership, and perspective-taking, highlighting that understanding others’ perspectives “can literally change the world.”
These four students receive the first Breakthrough Challenge leadership pins at Stonefields, signalling student agency and leadership as central to the school culture.
1.4. Birkdale Primary School – community-led vision and bicultural identity
Context & history
Principal Natasha (Birkdale Primary School) describes a diverse community with a long history:
School established in 1894 after local strawberry-growing families persisted despite earlier refusals.
In the 1980s, the community created the first—and still only—full immersion Te Reo Māori language unit in that part of Auckland, as part of the language revitalisation movement.
The challenge
When she arrived, the school was fragmented: the English-medium pathway and the full immersion Māori pathway were largely operating as separate worlds.
Her leadership challenge: unite and repair without diluting or marginalising either pathway.
Community engagement and “power-sharing”
They ran extensive community engagement:
Targeted different groups; met parents at the school gates, phoned families, held meetings, and ran focus groups with students.
Key questions for parents and staff:
What are your aspirations for your children?
What knowledge, skills, and dispositions are non-negotiable?
Similar questions were posed to students: what helps them learn; what they value.
Crucially, they shared the sensemaking:
Instead of analysing data behind closed doors, a representative group (parents, teachers, board members, leaders) met for a “sort and synthesise” day.
They found parents made some unconventional but powerful connections that educators alone might not have seen.
Natasha emphasises: “the people who sort the data control the narrative”—so they deliberately shared that power.
Outcome: a shared graduate profile
The community co-constructed a single graduate profile for Birkdale that:
Is authentic to both pathways (English-medium and immersion).
Reflects bicultural Aotearoa and the school’s Māori and English identities.
Unites the school without erasing difference, and focuses on dispositions and capabilities for all learners.
1.5. Albany Senior High School – relational, futures-focused secondary
School identity and structure
Albany Senior High School (ASHS) is a years 11–13 school with:
A very diverse student body; over 50% of students choose to attend from outside the local zone.
A strong emphasis on relationships, student voice, and being future-focused.
The school is driven by vision and mantras like nurture each other, inspire each other, empower each other.
Structures that make it “look and feel different”:
100-minute lesson blocks (longer than typical 45–90 minute periods) to allow deeper learning.
A project-based learning block mid-week (impact projects) where students work on sustained, authentic projects.
Tutorial – a 100-minute pastoral/home-room class where tutors act as learning coaches, supporting executive function, goal-setting, and personalised academic pathways.
Community views on success
For incoming Year 11 families, ASHS asked on post-its:
“What does success look like at the end of the year for your young person?”
(And, more light-heartedly) whether they wanted a food-truck event (unanimous yes).
Parents did not primarily define success in narrow academic terms. They emphasised:
Happiness, safety, and confidence.
Belonging, agency, and personal voice.
Relevant learning connected to life beyond school.
Kindness, respect, and positive contribution to community.
This aligns strongly with the school’s relational and learner-centred identity.
Flattening hierarchy: first-name culture
Teachers are addressed by first names (e.g. “Philly”), which initially felt strange but quickly led to more genuine, human relationships.
Philly notes that despite flattening the hierarchy, they maintain high academic expectations—e.g. revisiting a student’s goals mid-year and raising targets from “merit” to “excellence” level when they see the student can go further.
Student perspectives
Three students share how ASHS shaped them:
Olivia – global connectivity & Link Online Learners
2020 graduate whose final year was disrupted by COVID-19.
Introduced to Link Online Learners (LOL) by principal Claire Amos – a global youth network where young people aged 10–18 meet regularly online and co-create projects and a podcast called This Global Life. (hundred.org)
Her ASHS “impact project” involved editing podcast episodes in GarageBand and collaborating with a friend in Canada who published them.
She later spoke at the Forum of World Education annual conference near Bangkok, representing youth voice and global connection. (hundred.org)
Having just completed her tertiary studies, she is considering working on a new project called YESfest, helping recreate that “breakfast club” global learning experience for other young people.
Abby – leadership, work experience, and networks
Recent graduate who highlights:
The importance of first-name relationships and feeling respected.
Learning agency and “navigating the learning pit” as part of her development.
Through programmes like Gateway, she gained experience in a local primary school, exploring education as a career.
She also participated in the Youth Emerging Leadership Programme of the Blues Charitable Trust, which gave her leadership skills and networks she expects to use in future work. (Blues Charitable Trust)
Stevie – future student perspective
Younger sibling looking forward to starting at ASHS in 2026.
Excited about:
No uniform (mufti), allowing her to express her identity through clothing.
Longer learning blocks that give time to settle, focus, and produce work she’s proud of.
Sports opportunities (basketball, netball, volleyball) as a way to meet people across year levels.
Philly closes by emphasising how powerful it is for teachers to be “seen as full people” by students and vice versa, and how relationships plus high expectations create a compelling culture that even keeps staff from wanting to leave.
1.6. Final reflections and the EdRising themes
Philly ends with the whakataukī:
“He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata.”
What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, the people, the people.
Derek then synthesises themes from the three schools:
Clarity of purpose – vision, mission, and graduate profiles co-created with communities instead of imposed on them.
Student agency – students not just as targets of teaching but as active co-designers of their learning (e.g., Breakthrough, student testimonies at ASHS).
Community co-ownership – parents, whānau, and local communities engaged in defining success and purpose.
Rethinking structures – timetables, roles, and uses of technology reshaped to match values and goals.
Digital and global connections – online platforms allowing learners to connect globally and build hope and opportunity.
He connects this to EdRising, a New Zealand initiative and event, where educators recently explored five themes:
Leading for equity and agency.
Community-led transformation.
Digital futures (including AI and digital citizenship).
Redefining success.
Leading for transformation. (FUTUREMAKERS)
2. Entities mentioned and URLs
Below are the main named entities (schools, organisations, programmes, and events) referenced in the segment, with representative URLs.
2.1. Global event
24h for Change in Education – 24-hour global marathon showcasing change in education, from New Zealand to Hawai‘i.
Website: https://24hforchange.education (24h for Change)
2.2. Schools
Stonefields School – Primary school in East Auckland; vision-driven, with “Breakthrough” as a key agency-building programme.
Website: https://www.stonefields.school.nz
Birkdale Primary School – Diverse primary school on Auckland’s North Shore, with both English-medium and full immersion Te Reo Māori pathways and a community-created graduate profile.
Website: https://www.birkdaleprimary.school.nz
Albany Senior High School – Years 11–13 secondary school in Auckland, known for 100-minute blocks, project-based learning, strong student voice, and relational culture.
Website: https://www.ashs.school.nz
2.3. Programmes and initiatives
Breakthrough / Breakthrough Challenge (Stonefields School) – Internal programme with three strands (Passion Project, Physical Challenge, Social Impact).
Public info is via Stonefields’ site and newsletters; main access point: https://www.stonefields.school.nz
Graduate Profile (Birkdale Primary School) – Co-created profile describing the dispositions and capabilities Birkdale wants for all graduates in both pathways.
Accessible via Birkdale’s site: https://www.birkdaleprimary.school.nz
Link Online Learners (LOL) – Global youth network connecting 10–18-year-olds via online sessions, projects, and intercultural dialogue. (hundred.org)
Website: https://www.linkonlinelearners.org
This Global Life – Podcast produced by Link Online Learners youth, exploring what life is like in different countries; Olivia edited episodes as her project. (Apple Podcasts)
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-global-life/id1517066121
Forum of World Education – International convening where Olivia spoke about Link Online Learners and global youth connection. (Facebook)
OECD page: http://www.oecd.org/site/forum-world-education/
YESfest – Youth-focused festival project connected to the LOL founder that Olivia is considering joining.
Website: https://yesfest.org
Gateway Programme (NZ) – National school-to-work transition programme that places secondary students in workplaces; Abby used it to gain experience in a primary school.
Overview (Tertiary Education Commission): https://www.tec.govt.nz/funding/funding-and-performance/funding/fund-finder/gateway
Blues Charitable Trust – Youth Emerging Leadership Programme – Leadership and wellbeing programme linked to the Auckland Blues, which Abby joined; focuses on empowering rangatahi (youth) to make good choices and develop as leaders. (Blues Charitable Trust)
Website: https://thebluestrust.org
EdRising (New Zealand) – Network and event bringing educators together to explore equity, agency, community-led transformation, digital futures, redefined success, and transformational leadership. (FUTUREMAKERS)
Network site: https://edrising.net
FutureMakers overview of EdRising NZ: https://www.futuremakers.nz/post/edrising-aotearoa
FutureMakers – Education consultancy (led by Derek) that co-organised EdRising and works on future-focused educational change in New Zealand. (FUTUREMAKERS)
Website: https://www.futuremakers.nz
2.4. Cultural and arts organisations
Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra – Professional orchestra with which Matteo played as part of his passion project transition from recorder to clarinet.
Website: https://www.apo.co.nz
Phoenix – Segment Summary (24h for Change in Education)
1. Framing by Dr. Connie Kamm (Cam Solutions)
Connie opens by situating education in a world of agentic AI, cyber-physical systems, self-driving taxis, 3D-printed cells, etc.
Uses John Seely Brown’s metaphor:
Old education = schooner going from port A–B–C.
Today = white-water raft in turbulent, unpredictable waters.
Central question:
How do we educate children today to be future-ready global citizens in a world of exponential change?
Transversal competencies (4 clusters) guiding all the showcased programs:
Thinking dynamically – curiosity, creativity, innovation, critical thinking, agility, problem solving.
Knowing oneself (agency) – self-efficacy, self-regulation, motivation, growth mindset, resilience.
Caring about others – intercultural awareness, empathy, compassion, openness.
Engaging with others – collaboration, social skills, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence.
She also presents a leadership & systems “continuum” (from their upcoming book Leaders of a Thriving Future) showing how schools move:
From maintaining → to innovating and envisioning
Across seven areas: leadership, teaching & learning, student engagement/agency, curriculum design, professional learning, educator collaboration, and community connections.
2. Tempe Union Innovation Center (High School, Arizona) – Dr. Christine Bella
Vision & context
Part of Tempe Union High School District (6 comprehensive high schools).
Vision: “Empowering tomorrow’s innovators today.”
Origin: Superintendent Dr. Kevin Mendivil recognised that a traditional public HS system wasn’t enough; they wanted a different way of learning within a public district.
Design journey (3 years)
Year 1 – Listening & research
Partnership with Connie as consultant.
Visits to innovative schools in Arizona and out of state.
Surveys and workshops with students, parents, staff, business partners.
Large internal committee (~60 people from all schools and roles) defined what “innovation” meant for Tempe Union.
Key student survey (157 randomly selected students) – they wanted:
Stronger relationships with teachers.
More hands-on learning.
More real impact in the community, locally and globally.
More choice in how they learn, without losing academic rigor.
Year 2 – Building the model
Hired 5 “learning facilitators” (teachers) after a very demanding, two-day selection process – specifically looking for non-traditional, risk-tolerant educators.
Co-designed:
Mission: activating student ingenuity, developing student agency, authentic collaboration that builds empathy, perseverance, critical thinking.
Learner–Leader Profile: critical thinking, resilience, agility, integrity, initiative, empathy.
Built a network of 80+ business partners:
Some provided full projects / real problems.
Others served as mentors “on call”.
Secured an innovative physical space – renovated to feel more like a Google/Apple workspace than a traditional classroom.
Year 3 – Implementation (“Go Year”)
Program structure
Students attend half-day:
3 hours in the morning or 3 hours in the afternoon at the Innovation Center.
Rest of the day in their home high school.
They can earn 3 credits while working primarily through real-world, project-based learning with business partners.
Students were intentionally mixed:
IEP and 504 students, credit-deficient students, C/D students, and high-performing honors/AP students all working together.
Business-linked projects & process
Business partners pitch real problems or projects (in person or online).
Students rank their preferred projects; center staff form teams of 4–5.
Each team works closely with a business mentor and a learning facilitator, who:
Ask questions instead of giving answers.
Coach process and reflection rather than “deliver content”.
Work is organized into 5 project phases (contracts, research, defining the driving question, design, implementation, etc), tracked with Headrush – an education project-management system inspired by tools like Trello.
Example project
With Tempe Community Council / City of Tempe:
Students redesigned the system for managing and distributing free clothing, shampoo, and essentials for students in need.
They created inventory systems, restocking logic for each school store, and a social media plan to raise awareness.
Impact & testimonials
Despite only 1 hour per week of direct instructional time per subject (instead of 5), Innovation Center students outperformed district averages in:
Sophomore English: +5.4%
Science: +4.2%
Economics: +4.4%
They also did better on the state tests.
Students attribute success to:
Feeling trusted, having voice and choice, working on meaningful projects.
A standout student testimonial (Marine ROTC scholarship, full tuition paid) credits the Innovation Center with “changing my life”, especially after a history of negative experiences with school.
Christine’s closing reflection:
Innovation happens when vision meets courage.
The Innovation Center changed how students and staff see learning, shifting to a model where students think, create and lead with clarity, purpose and confidence.
3. HighScope Educational Research Foundation – Dr. Alejandra Barazza & Beth Schultz
Who they are
HighScope is not a school, but a non-profit organization that:
Designs early childhood curriculum.
Conducts research.
Provides professional learning for educators.
Headquarters: Ypsilanti, Michigan (USA).
Perry Preschool Study
Origin in the famous HighScope Perry Preschool Study (started 1962, Ypsilanti).
Founded by Dr. David Weikart, concerned that predominantly Black children in the community were:
Over-represented in special education.
Not completing high school.
Created a high-quality preschool program in a school gym.
Randomly followed children who did and did not attend. Now those individuals are nearly 60.
Key long-term outcomes
Higher high school graduation and college attendance rates.
Better income and employment outcomes.
Lower teen pregnancy rates.
Lower involvement in crime; when crimes occurred, more likely to be non-violent.
Economist James Heckman (University of Chicago) used these data to estimate a $13 return to society for every $1 invested in high-quality early childhood education (the “Heckman equation”), contributing to his Nobel Prize in Economics.
HighScope approach: Active learning & Plan–Do–Review
At the heart of the curriculum is Active Learning plus the Plan–Do–Review sequence:
Plan: children choose what they will do (area, materials, intentions).
Do (Work Time): child-initiated exploration in classroom interest areas.
Review (Recall): children reflect on what they did, describe their learning, often already planning for next time.
Teachers use open questions and intentional observing/listening, rather than directing.
A structured 6-step conflict resolution process teaches children to solve problems together, with the teacher facilitating but not imposing solutions.
Core idea: young children develop agency, reflection, language, social and problem-solving skills through this cycle—planting the same transversal competencies Connie described for K-12.
Current work and projects
Significant projects include:
STEM/STEAM kits funded by General Motors, expanding into kindergarten.
Expanding an adult learning center at the Ypsilanti campus to host professional development and community use.
Gates Foundation support to update and align curriculum, professional learning and assessment.
Collaboration with another family foundation (Bayum/Beyum) via NAEYC.
A 10-year longitudinal study in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, following children from preschool through 5th grade.
HighScope now has implementing programs in all 50 US states and internationally, training educators worldwide in its active-learning approach.
4. Levit Lab x ASU Prep Tempe – Reimagining High School
Who they are
Levit Lab is an educational initiative founded by Steven Levitt
(economist, co-author of Freakonomics).
Partnered with Arizona State University and ASU Preparatory Academy to create an in-person high school model on the ASU Tempe campus:
ASU Prep Tempe – powered by Levit Lab.
Problem diagnosis
Levitt observed as both father and professor:
Students focus on grades and tests, not genuine understanding.
Even top university students often just ask, “Will this be on the test?”
The goal: move from test-driven schooling to curiosity-driven learning that actually prepares students for real life.
Core vision
A school where:
Curiosity is the engine of learning.
Students ask big questions, design projects, and build expertise.
Learning is self-paced, flexible and personalised, with strong community and in-person interaction.
“Learning” is something that matters inside and outside school, and becomes a lifelong habit.
Five main components of the model
Core
State-standards-aligned courses (e.g., biology, geometry, world history).
Delivered online and self-paced, so students can be at their appropriate level and speed.
Guides (teachers) support and monitor, but students manage a lot of their own pacing.
Wonder Sessions
Weekly lab-style sessions designed purely to ignite curiosity.
Topics like:
“How big is the universe really?”
“Are all the maps in the world wrong?”
Optical illusions and how our brains perceive the world.
Hands-on, playful, discussion-rich—no test at the end; it’s about wonder.
Seminars
Weekly, Socratic-style discussions on real-world issues and data.
Develop:
Communication skills.
Data literacy.
Ethical reasoning and critical thinking.
Examples:
Is organic food really better?
Is the world getting better or worse?
Ethics of CRISPR gene editing.
In-Depth Explorations (IDEs)
Multi-week, student-led projects (solo or in teams) based on a personal passion.
Students can choose from a catalog or propose their own topic.
They create a project plan, set milestones and deadlines, and present publicly.
Examples mentioned:
A mission to Mars.
“Freedom in science fiction.”
The science and history of cake decoration (with frosting samples at a showcase).
Scientific topics like “prons” (likely prions) with 3D models.
Electives & College Courses
Through ASU, students can take university-level classes (e.g., game design, higher math), either:
On campus in Tempe, or
Via ASU Universal Learner online courses.
They earn real college credit while in high school.
Guides (teachers as mentors)
Called “guides”, not traditional teachers:
Primary contact for parents.
Help students set academic and personal goals, build personalised schedules.
Encourage students to explore new interests, push their own limits.
Focus on mentoring and co-learning, not being the sole source of knowledge.
Pilot school snapshot
Opened July (current year) as a pilot in Tempe.
~50 high school students (all grades), 5 guides, 2 co-leaders.
Already 40+ IDE projects in the first few months.
A day in the life
School starts at 9:00 a.m.
Example day:
9:00 – Check-in with house guide (30 minutes: goals, wellbeing, logistics).
Morning – Core: self-paced online work on key subjects.
Lunch – Community room: board games, chess, socialising.
1:00 p.m. – Seminar (e.g., on CRISPR ethics).
Afternoon – Work on IDEs: research, building products, preparing for showcase.
Community & culture
Quarterly IDE showcase with families and community; students present their projects and learning journey.
Culture is deeply collaborative, not zero-sum:
Self-paced model reduces competition over grades.
Students are excited about one another’s projects and successes.
Ideal student: curious, wants more say in learning, values supportive community, and can grow into independence.
5. Main entities & resources mentioned
1. Tempe / Innovation Center ecosystem
Tempe Union High School District (Innovation Center host)
https://www.tempeunion.org
Tempe Community Council (the organization behind the “Threadz” teen clothes closets project the students worked with)
https://www.tempecommunitycouncil.org Tempe Community Council
Headrush – project-based learning / project management platform (used to structure the 5 innovation phases)
https://www.headrushapp.com ASU Preparatory Academy
2. Early Childhood / HighScope
HighScope Educational Research Foundation
https://highscope.org ASU Preparatory Academy
Perry Preschool Study (HighScope’s landmark research)
Overview via HighScope:
https://highscope.org/perry-preschool-project/ ASU Preparatory Academy
NAEYC – National Association for the Education of Young Children
https://www.naeyc.org NAEYC
3. Levit(t) Lab / ASU Prep ecosystem
The Levitt Lab (Steven Levitt’s learning lab powering the ASU Prep Tempe site)
https://www.thelevittlab.org ASU Preparatory Academy
ASU Prep Tempe – powered by The Levitt Lab
https://asuprep.asu.edu/tempe-levitt-lab/ ASU Preparatory Academy
ASU Preparatory Academy (overall K-12 network)
https://asuprep.asu.edu ASU Preparatory Academy
ASU Prep Digital (online component that was mentioned around ASU Prep / college courses)
https://www.asuprepdigital.org ASU Prep Digital
Arizona State University (ASU)
https://www.asu.edu ASU Preparatory Academy
Khan World School at ASU Prep
https://asuprep.asu.edu/khan-world-school ASU Preparatory Academy
Khan Academy (Sal Khan’s original platform referenced indirectly)
https://www.khanacademy.org khanacademy.org
4. Funders and context organizations mentioned
General Motors (STEM/STEAM funding for HighScope kits)
https://www.gm.com ASU Preparatory Academy
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (curriculum/assessment funding for HighScope)
https://www.gatesfoundation.org