Blueprint 9: Educational Transformation  

Purpose of the Blueprint

AspectExplanation
Introduction

The purpose of this blueprint is to provide key recommendations and systemic guidelines for the transformative and enabling role of education for the design and implementation of a regenerative and distributive economy in the 21st Century.

We are embarking on a year-long journey to research and prototype the key features, qualities and systemic conditions of transformative education for a regenerative and distributive economy. This work also includes recommendations for how to transform existing systemic barriers of mainstream educational systems for achieving the transition to a regenerative and distributive economy. Furthermore, an overview will be provided of leading initiatives of emerging Evolutionary Learning Ecosystems, and how to build on this to cultivate the evolutionary learning communities of practice at bioregional scales. Education in the context of this blueprint includes all relevant expressions of formal and informal learning.

 

 

FocusThe primary focus of this project will be to identify systemic guidelines and design pathways for the transformative and enabling role of education for the design and implementation of a regenerative and distributive economy in the 21st Century, with a bioregional place-based evolutionary learning focus.
Link to other r3.0 Blueprints
  • Reporting Blueprint: This Blueprint sets the foundation of r3.0’s notion of a green, inclusive, and open economy (now referred to as regenerative and distributive economy) that the Educational Transformation Blueprint will further develop. 
  • Accounting Blueprint: Accounting education stands in need of radical transformation from monocapitalist to multicapitalist accounting that addresses the carrying capacities of the capitals.
  • Data Blueprint: Given the Educational Transformation Blueprint’s focus on bioregional regenerative economies requires information system architecture oriented to measuring bioregional carrying capacities.
  • New Business Models Blueprint: The Educational Transformation Blueprint will partner with the Flourishing Enterprise Institute, which is creating nodes of global research networks for creating flourishing business models.
  • Transformation Journey Blueprint: As with all r3.0 Blueprints, the Educational Transformation Blueprint will feed into the next round revision of the Transformation Journey Blueprint as the synthesis statement of Blueprint knowledge.
  • Sustainable Finance Blueprint: reating bioregional regenerative economies ties into the Sustainable Finance Blueprint as a meso-level intervention at the intersection of portfolios and habitats
  • Value Cycles Blueprint: The Educational Transformation Blueprint calls for the cosmolocalization of value cycles to the bioregional level.
  • Funding Governance for Systemic Transformation Blueprint: This Blueprint questions how the funding fields transform itself in order to fund systemic transformation. 

 

Areas the Blueprint will cover

AspectExplanation
Evolutionary Learning and DevelopmentRegenerative economies are evolutionary learning economies. This project will provide a foundational understanding of the generative aspects and conditions of evolutionary learning and development, and how to enhance and enable this for the transformation of our economic systems to become evolutionary coherent with the ecologies of life.
Mapping of Systemic Education BarriersMainstream education is currently not preparing people to develop the necessary future-creative competencies and evolutionary learning capabilities for enabling a regenerative and distributive economy. This project will provide an overview of some of the most persistent and widely occurring systemic barriers, and how to address and transform those.
Mapping of Regenerative EducationThere are currently thousands of thematically related educational projects associated with the creation of a regenerative and distributive economy. We will create an epistemological framework for mapping and visualizing how they relate to each other.
Knowledge Synthesis and Translation into ActionThe project will provide an integral framework for evolutionary cohering existing knowledge that is relevant to the focus of this project and how to synergize this into key actions for educational design and transformation. This includes recommendations of key strategies of regenerative design for place-based Evolutionary Learning Ecosystems.
Bioregional RegenerationA key focus will be the development of ecological and cultural literacy through the design of evolutionary learning experiences in relation to ecological landscapes, like watersheds and coastal estuaries that biophysically constitute, and cultural interrelationships with these real-world human ecologies. Recommendation will be included for how to implement this in innovative design for evolutionary learning.
Resilient Life Systems Amidst Planetary TurmoilContinuous learning across the full spectrum of life will be required to manage the complexities of accelerating global change. Key focus will be given to the formation of evolutionary coherent life systems in which people go about their work, raise their families, and seek resilience in their lives.
Integration of Finance and Ecological RestorationMobilization of resources for the regeneration of landscapes and cultivation of resilient communities will need to involve the educational activities that translate ideas into actions. Focus will be given to the creation of financial instruments that “de-risk” investments in regenerative projects so that more people can participate in them.
Capacities for Network ActivationPractical focus will be given to the weaving of key actors across educational offerings so that capacities increase for the activation of networks that seek to implement this Blueprint after it is created.
Recommendations to Relevant ConstituenciesAs with all r3.0 Blueprints, this Blueprint will provide Recommendations for filling the gaps identified in the report, geared toward specific relevant constituencies – for example, existing educational institutions, governmental departments of education, etc…

 

Resources the Blueprint will build upon

ResourceExplanation
SDG Transformation ForumThis is a network of research partners who design and implement transformation support systems to shape the evolution of social institutions, policy structures, and cultural values.
Global Education FuturesGEF has created valuable systemic mappings of key initiatives and systemic principles for Evolutionary Learning Ecosystems.
EARTHwise Centre Thrivability Education ResourcesThe PhD Dissertation “Into the Heart of Systems Change” by Dr Anneloes Smitsman of EARTHwise Centre includes peer-reviewed published research of recommendations for evolutionary learning and development, sustainability education, mapping of systemic barriers, systemic transformation in education, and design for Evolutionary Learning Ecosystems.
Meridian UniversityMeridian University is dedicated to enabling human development through wise transformative impact across multiple domains with global reach and local value. Meridian’s graduate degree programs in Business, Psychology, and Education enable students to combine passion with profession in service of larger social, cultural, ecological, and developmental goals.
Ubiquity UniversityUbiquity University is an accredited global university designed for social impact. Supporting people to develop the soft and hard skills needed to solve pressing global problems that are threatening the planetary ecology and human society.
KikoriExperiential education to transform the classroom.
Gaia EducationGaia Education is an international NGO which provides students of all ages and cultural backgrounds with knowledge and skills to design a thriving society.
Wellbeing Economy AllianceA repository of research and policy frameworks for health and wellbeing that inform how to envision the future humanity wants.
Earth RegeneratorsA global network of practitioners and engaged learners seeking to build regenerative bioregional economies. This community is also incubating the birth of the Design Institute for Regenerating Earth that will offer prototypes, learning immersions, and opportunities to practice creating evolutionary learning ecosystems around the world.
Planet Drum FoundationDecades of research and writings about bioregionalism and the decolonization of education in service to the emergence of sustainable communities.
Regenerative Communities NetworkThis Blueprint will tie into the work r3.0 is doing in collaboration with the Regenerative Communities Network, piloting this work in the Pioneer Valley Bioregional Collaborative in Massachusetts.
r3.0 BlueprintsThe transformation of education in service to Earth regeneration weaves across all of the other blueprints in this series and will draw upon their reference materials to identify key measurement frameworks, emerging opportunities, and other related information.

 

Expected outcomes of the Blueprint

OutcomeDetail
RepositoryBlueprints typically result in a repository of source materials numbering in the hundreds, compiled into a repository.
Infographics from virtual dialogueBlueprint development typically involves a virtual dialogue on Currnt for each Exposure Draft, resulting in infographic reports.
Public commentAfter vetting two Exposure Drafts with the Working Group of 20-40 global experts, a Public Comment period precedes final publication.
Blueprint #9The final version of Blueprint #9 will be published as a r3.0 Blueprint Report

Parties who should be involved

Main role – (S)=sponsors; (W)=work/research partners; (D)= Data providers; (V)=validating / networking partners
Sponsors (S)Governments, Multilaterals, and Foundations involved in educational funding; Corporations and other networks as they see fit
Research partners (R)Educational and research institutions seeking partnership opportunities to advance holistic design and practice in the field
Work partners (W)Advocation Partners and Transformation Journey Program Participants
Data providers (D)A particular focus on providers of data at the bioregional level with tools for measuring carrying capacity
Validating / networking partners (V)r3.0 involves influential players that aren’t in a position to contribute formally in this Blueprint Project to reflect and add opinions where deemed necessary. This increases the visibility of the project and recognition of the outcomes.

Management of the Blueprint project

FunctionRole Description
Program manager(s)Ralph Thurm / Bill Baue
BP AuthorsDr. Anneloes Smitsman, CEO EARTHwise Centre (Lead Author); Bill Baue & Ralph Thurm (Co-Authors)
Corporate Participants7-12
Network Representatives7-12
Non-Profit Representatives7-12

 

Timeline

MonthActivities
1Call for participation, set up of working group, budget check, official launch
<2-3Literature collection, analysis, 1:1 expert interviews
4Structuring of outcomes, 1st meeting working group
5-6Development of first draft blueprint with participants
7Online Think Tank, infographic development
8Structuring of outcomes, 2nd meeting working group
9-10Final draft to working group, public comment period
11-12Final version of blueprint and release

 

Resources

ContributionsDescription
Funding200k EUR, accepting donations as matching funding, and corporate contributions between 10k and 20k EUR
In-kindpossible

Educational Transformation Blueprint

Lead Author

Anneloes Smitsman, PhD

Founder &CEO EARTHwise Center

Lead Author

Co-Authors

Bill Baue

Senior Director

r3.0

+1 413 387 58 24

Ralph Thurm

Managing Director

OnCommons / r3.0

+31 64 600 14 52

Working Group Members

Maria Garcia Alvarez

Maria Garcia Alvarez

Lecturer Windesheim University of Applied Sciences and Earth Charter Educator

Prof. Dr. Bernd Ankenbrand

Prof. Dr. Bernd Ankenbrand

Purpose Economist, University of Applied Sciences Wuerzburg-Schweinfurt

 Prof. Patricia Bader-Johnston

Prof. Patricia Bader-Johnston

CEO, Silverbirch Associates Ltd; Professor, Bond/BBT Graduate School of Business; Rikkyo University

Prof Dr Walter Baets

Prof Dr Walter Baets

Professor in Values Based Leadership, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences

Frederic A.J. Barge

Frederic A.J. Barge

Founder, Reward Value

Dr. Kurt Barnes (ND, DEA)

Dr. Kurt Barnes (ND, DEA)

International psycho-social expert, Founder & Chair of EARTHwise Centre

Dr. Stefan Bergheim

Dr. Stefan Bergheim

ZGF - Center for Societal Progress, Frankfurt

Jennifer Browdy, PhD

Jennifer Browdy, PhD

Professor of Comparative Literature & Media Arts, Bard College at Simon’s Rock

Luis Alberto Camargo

Luis Alberto Camargo

Director at OpEpa

Robert Dellner

Robert Dellner

Managing Partner, i3 Partners Limited

David DenHartog

David DenHartog

Director of Innovative Learning, Green Schools National Network

Suparna Diwakar

Suparna Diwakar

Rashtram School of Public Leadership, Sonipat, Delhi (NCR)

Eric Fath-Kolmes, P.Eng, MBA

Eric Fath-Kolmes, P.Eng, MBA

PhD Student, Centre for Sustainable Entrepreneurship, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

Raz Godelnik

Raz Godelnik

Assistant Professor of Strategic Design & Management, Parsons School of Design - The New School.

Henk Hadders

Henk Hadders

Caring Ecosystem Catalyst at Ecosystem Catalysts

Alexander Laszlo

Alexander Laszlo

Professor of Evolutionary Systems Design, Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science

Vlado Lobotka

Vlado Lobotka

Founder, Institute Gaia

Michele Maynard

Michele Maynard

Visionary Lead Collaborative Researcher and Educator (Earth Regenerators Africa & Sustainability Institute, South Africa)

Dave Pendle

Dave Pendle

Founder of Generative You - Leadership Development

Ajay Rastogi

Ajay Rastogi

Foundation for Contemplation of Nature Majkhali, Uttarakhand Himalaya, India

Michael P. Schlaile

Michael P. Schlaile

Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Innovation Economics, University of Hohenheim

Marina Schmitz

Marina Schmitz

Lecturer / Research Associate, Center for Advanced Sustainable Management (CASM), CBS International Business School, Cologne

Howard Silverman

Howard Silverman

Assistant Professor, Pacific Northwest College of Art

Dr. Shweta Srivastav

Dr. Shweta Srivastav

Glocal Colab and The Hague Center for Global Governance, Innovation and Emergence

Dr. Sophie Urmetzer

Dr. Sophie Urmetzer

Director Coordination Office Bioeconomy Research and Postdoctoral Researcher Department of Innovation Economics, University of Hohenheim

Bas van den Berg, MSc

Bas van den Berg, MSc

Learning Ecologist at Mission Zero/The Hague University of Applied Sciences

Remko van der Pluijm

Remko van der Pluijm

Senior Lecturer Marketing of Social Business and Research, Assistant Lecturer Knowledge Centre Business Innovation, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences

Julian Wong

Julian Wong

Vice President, Legal, QuantumScape; Education Ambassador, Prosocial Schools

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