Amelia Sevilla-Martin & Andrew Watson

Reimagining Education for a Sustainable Future

Amelia is the Head of Sustainability at the International School of Monaco

Andres is the CEO of Sustainability Education (SusEd)

Workshop Information:

In an interconnected and rapidly changing world, the challenges we face – climate instability, social inequity, biodiversity loss – are not isolated problems, but interdependent symptoms of deeper systemic patterns. Preparing students for this reality requires more than content knowledge; it calls for a transformation in how we think, learn, and act. We need to prepare our students – and each other – for a VUCA world, one of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity & Ambiguity.

Following on from the International Education and Sustainability Leadership Summit at IS Monaco in March 2025, this session introduces systems thinking as a core approach for embedding sustainability into the heart of education – not as an add-on, but as a central way of thinking and knowing that nurtures curiosity, requires inquiry, reveals hidden connections, and cultivates active hope and the capacities students need to thrive in complexity. Through hands-on strategies and curriculum-integrated examples, participants will explore how systems thinking enables teachers and learners to recognize interdependencies, identify leverage points, and co-create regenerative solutions.

Together, we will shift towards genuinely holistic learning experiences that empower students as agents of hope and change – as critical thinkers, relational learners, and compassionate, reflective global citizens. Join us in discovering how systems thinking for sustainability can illuminate the pathways to a more just, more peaceful and sustainable world - one space, one connection, one insight at a time.

Key Themes Covered:

1. Education in a VUCA World: Navigating interconnected crises

The modern world is characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) and the major global challenges we face. Climate change, inequality and biodiversity loss, are deeply systemic and interlinked. Industrial model approaches to education, focused on isolated facts and linear thinking, are no longer sufficient. This theme calls for a fundamental shift in how we imagine learning outcomes, prioritizing the ability to think critically and act responsibly within interdependent social, ecological, and economic systems.

2. Systems Thinking as a pedagogical compass for sustainability

Systems thinking is introduced not just as a tool but as a transformative mindset, a way to make sense of complexity, see patterns, and understand root causes. It supports inquiry-based, integrative learning that connects interdisciplinary content. This theme emphasizes embedding systems thinking at the heart of curriculum and pedagogy to:

• Nurture curiosity and reflective inquiry

• Reveal connections and interdependencies

• Identify leverage points for change

• Support the co-creation of regenerative solutions

In doing so, educators and students become co-facilitators of deep learning that prepares us for dynamic, real-world sustainability challenges.

3. Empowering learners as relational, hopeful, active and compassionate citizens

The ultimate goal is to cultivate learners who are not only knowledgeable but also empathetic, collaborative, and action-oriented. Systems thinking strengthens students’ ability to see themselves within broader systems and to participate meaningfully in shaping just and sustainable futures. This theme centers on holistic, purpose-driven education that:

• Deepens critical and relational thinking

• Encourages agency, compassion, empathy and hope

• Equips learners to become agents of transformative change, locally and globally

Session Outcomes:

• Recognize the urgency and complexity of global challenges in a VUCA World

Participants will develop a deepened understanding of the interconnected nature of global sustainability challenges, including climate instability, inequality, and biodiversity loss and examine how these reflect systemic dysfunctions. They will explore why traditional education models fall short in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world and begin to reframe their educational aims to prepare students for complexity, uncertainty, and ethical action.

• Apply systems thinking to curriculum and pedagogy

Participants will gain practical knowledge of systems thinking principles, such as feedback loops, causal relationships, and interdependence and apply them to real educational contexts. Through interactive activities, they will explore how systems thinking can serve as a pedagogical compass that integrates sustainability meaningfully across disciplines and supports deeper, inquiry-driven learning.

• Design learning experiences that cultivate agency, curiosity, hope and reflective inquiry

Participants will learn to design or adapt learning experiences that nurture student curiosity, encourage open-ended questioning, and support reflective engagement with complexity. They will leave with strategies to shift learning environments from content delivery to co-created inquiry, rooted in student voice, active hope, exploration, and meaning-making.

• Empower learners as active agents of change and compassionate citizens

Participants will explore how to foster a sense of self-efficacy, empathy, and responsibility within broader social-ecological systems. They will examine approaches for developing relational thinking and global citizenship in teachers and students, cultivating agency, active hope, and purpose alongside knowledge and skills.

• Identify leverage points for transformative change within their schools

Through reflective dialogue and collaborative problem-solving, participants will identify leverage points in their own schools – policies, practices, structures, or mindsets – that can be shifted to embed sustainability more deeply into the school culture and curriculum. They will draft action-oriented ideas for initiating or advancing whole-school sustainability transformation.

• Build a professional learning community committed to regenerative education

Participants will connect with like-minded peers to form or strengthen a professional learning network dedicated to systems-informed sustainability education. They will leave with tools, shared language, and collective energy to support ongoing collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation beyond the session.

Biography:

Andrew Watson is an experienced school leader and CEO of Sustainability Education (SusEd) www.sused.org a leading global foundation nurturing the culture shift required for education to meet the most urgent challenges of our time. Andrew co-designed the International Education & Sustainability Leadership Summit at the International School of Monaco in March 2025. He also leads professional development for the International Baccalaureate and develops global education initiatives in sustainability, peace and wellbeing in partnership with business, industry and development sectors. He is a co-author of the IB Leadership Pathway and a regular contributor to literature on education for sustainability and peace. He has worked in leadership positions and in partnership with organisations around the world in countries including Albania, Armenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Israel, Mozambique, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, the Netherlands and Venezuela.