Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable World: A Systems Thinking Approach
Pre-conference Workshop
About the Workshop
Are you looking to build a culture of sustainability in your organisation?
Do you want to empower your educators and equip them with tools for transformative learning?
Do you want to support students with the skills they need to meet our current and future global challenges?
This workshop is designed by educators for educators, whether they are working inside or outside the classroom. Participants will explore the concept of sustainability with a specific emphasis on the role of education and the use of systems thinking to enhance student learning. Educators will be equipped with a suite of systems thinking tools to enable them to help students develop the knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary to participate in a complex and interdependent world. The course will be a mix of theory and practice; educators will see examples of these tools in practice and be invited to innovate and strengthen their lessons, units, and programs.
Whether you are running a school, facilitating a conversation in your classroom or working with young people in other contexts, this workshop is for you.
Learning objectives:
- Discuss the imperative for sustainability education in a global context
- Understand the relationship between sustainability and systems thinking
- Explore the educational uses of systems thinking tools
- Discover how sustainability habits of mind can be integrated into teaching and learning
- Develop plans to include sustainability perspectives and systems thinking tools in your lessons or projects
What’s Included?
Facilitators
Richard Hunt
Richard is a primary educator and Service Learning Coordinator at the British School Manila, Philippines, with 30 years of teaching experience. He is passionate about sustainability, outdoor learning, and student well-being, having developed innovative Global Citizenship Education units that connect children with nature. His Regeneration through Permaculture project, showcased at OFFSEAS 2025, demonstrates how hands-on activities can transform student learning and school communities.
Richard leads curriculum innovation in sustainability at BSM and supports colleagues in embedding outdoor and experiential learning. He is also a certified Level 3 Forest School Leader and recently joined the Compass Education facilitator team to promote systems thinking and sustainability in education.
Outside of school, Richard enjoys surfing, multi-day treks, and scuba diving, which inspire his commitment to empowering young people to “think global, act local” and to build inclusive, sustainable programs.
Sara McKay
Sara is a dynamic educator with over 23 years of experience. Currently residing in Brunei Darussalam, she teaches at Jerudong International School.
In her previous positions as a Junior School teacher and an Eco JIS coordinator, Sara spearheaded numerous initiatives to nurture her students’ appreciation of the natural world and build their awareness of the need to live more sustainably. Today, as an English teacher in the Senior School, she is actively involved in curriculum design and professional development, continuously advocating for the integration of sustainability across all subject areas.
In addition to her teaching, Sara is an enthusiastic Compass Education Facilitator, a role she’s held since 2023. She is passionate about using systems thinking tools to bring people together to investigate the complex challenges of sustainability and develop new ideas and innovations for positive change.
