School on Mars: Re-imagining education as a transformative force for a regenerative world

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Zena Obeid, Trainer at Alpha Publishing

I recently attended a thought-provoking workshop ‘Schools on Mars’ at ATÖLYE Dubai.

Schools on Mars was imagined as an experiential space that offers educators, thinkers, and students an opportunity to reimagine and transform how they live, learn, educate, communicate, and work.

The Schools on Mars workshop was facilitated and co-produced by ATÖLYE and members of the team at Think Learning Studio namely Russell Cailey, Director of Think Global School, and Brett Girven, Principal of Arbor British School.

The purpose of the workshop was to celebrate International Education Day by exploring transformative educational views alongside other school leaders, teachers, and visionaries. 

This was achieved by tapping into practical examples that could be applied and implemented on Mars if the appropriate elements, factors, and opportunities were made available.

How to build a progressive educational system

Russell and Brett divided us into groups. Each group was assigned a domain they had to reflect on and collectively agree on the elements required to build a progressive educational ecosystem.  

We were given the opportunity to explore some potential implications and consequences of building a school on another planetary terrain collaboratively and conceptualize simulations that represent these key domains required to design this ecosystem. We then presented how our ecosystem would operate.

The challenges

In order to create an effective educational system on a planet like Mars, different groups highlighted several challenges that would need to be overcome. One of the primary challenges was designing a learning space whilst keeping in mind that there is no pre-existing infrastructure or resources. Another challenge discussed was the idea of ensuring that the educational system on Mars does not simply replicate the same system of life on Earth. Educators and designers had to think outside of the box about ways that could contribute to developing a safe and sustainable environment that would be conducive to learning and growth.

Challenges aside, imagining what education could look like on Mars helped us take away some essential thoughts that have the potential to positively impact schools on Earth now. Critical thinking is crucial, and we need to step out of our comfort zones to create something truly innovative. 

Transforming the Train the Trainer model

As community builders, educators, designers, and architects, we must work together to build a solid foundation that serves the needs of both current and future generations.

Reflecting on this event, I not only got to refresh and enhance my understanding of my role as an educator and trainer who has an influential impact on the Education Industry, but also managed to reframe my mind on how I would like to transform the Train the Trainer model.

I found this workshop quite progressive and intriguing for educators thirsty to transform theoretical and seemingly impossible practices into reality. By keeping these key takeaways in mind, we can now envision a bright future for education on Mars or elsewhere.

To learn more about our thought-provoking professional training courses email us at askme@alphapublishing.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]