Telling Transformation Papert’s observations were affirmed by middle school stu- dents at Voyagers’ Community School, in Farmingdale, New Jersey, in one of the IHE 10-week online classes—Most Good, Least Harm—in April 2012. “Initially, students were intimidated and underestimated their ability to express their thoughts and concerns or debate issues with the adult partici- pants. That challenge faded quickly,” remarks Karen Giuffre, founder and director of the progressive day school. Posing provocative questions like, “What brings you joy?” and engaging in conversations in subjects like climate change, racism, recycling, green energy, genocide and war chal- lenged the students to step up to become respected equals. “This demanded a lot from these young people, because the experience wasn’t only about absorbing complex issues and developing an awareness of the material, political, economic and cultural world around them. It was also about how they probed their minds and emotions to determine where they stood on issues and what they could do to change their life- style, or that of their family and community, to make it more sustainable,” says Giuffre. The students went on to help organize a peace confer- ence that entailed 20-plus workshops to inspire an individual mindful awareness of peace that motivates and empowers the peacemaker within. It was intended to incite collective action across generations, explains Giuffre, and was followed by community service to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy.


Answering the Call


Children or adults that participate in activities such as those created by IHE or the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Challenge 20/20 are developing what Peggy Holman describes as “change literacy”, the capacity to be effectively present amid a changing set of circumstances. Hol- man, an adjunct professional lecturer at American University’s School of Public Affairs, in Washington, D.C., is co-founder of the Open Space Institute-US, which fosters whole-system engagement, and author of Engaging Emergence. “Conversational literacy—the capacity to talk and inter-


act in creative ways with others that are very different from us—is our birthright. However, change literacy, a necessary skill for future leaders, is learned via curiosity,” advises Hol- man. “In my experience, children grasp it more quickly than adults, because authentic expression and curiosity come naturally to them. Children don’t have a long history, and so are naturally more present when engaged in exploring things that matter.”


Global problems of deforestation, peacekeeping, conflict


prevention, terrorism, water pollution and shortages, natural disasters and mitigation, global warming, education for all, biodiversity, ecosystem losses and global infectious diseases aren’t yet subjects found in a normal curriculum for grades five through nine. However, the Internet-based Challenge 20/20 program now has youth in nearly 120 independent and tradi- tional schools throughout the United States working on solu- tions that can be implemented both locally and globally. “Challenge 20/20 partners American schools at any grade level [K-12] with counterpart schools in other countries, free


of cost,” explains NAIS Director Patrick Bassett. “Together, teams tackle real global problems while forming authentic bonds and learning firsthand about cross-cultural commu- nication.” Qualifying students may have an opportunity to share their experiences at the association’s annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference. In 2010, 11 students at the Fay School, in Southborough,


Massachusetts, partnered with Saigon South International School (SSIS), in Vietnam. After a year of studying, raising awareness and brainstorming solutions for the global water deficit, Fay students focused on the challenges families in underdeveloped countries face that must walk miles to find clean, safe, water sources. A taxing water-carrying experiment brought immediate appreciation for the difficulty of transporting water, prompting them to invent the Water Walker. The modified rolling cooler with heavy-duty straps attached can carry up to 40 quarts of water on large, durable wheels and axles designed to navigate rocky terrain.


Re-Imagining Education “Transformative learning, which is vital to the learning jour- ney, goes beyond the acquisition of information,” says Aftab Omer, Ph.D., president of Meridian University, in Petaluma, California, and founder of its formative Institute of Imagi- nal Studies. “In informational learning, we acquire facts, concepts, principles and even skills, but in transformative learning, we are cultivating capacities. This is how certain capabilities become embodied in us, either as individuals or as human systems,” he advises. Portrait artist Robert Shetterly tours with his series of more


natural awakenings April 2013 17


Bill McKibben portrait by Robert Shetterly


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