OUR VISION
Our vision is a community of schools and partners committed to building a global movement of socially conscious young people who are equipped to be leaders in their lives and society
We aim to achieve our vision through:
At GSL we recognise the need for a change in education and are supporting schools to catalyse this change, by transforming their students’ learning about sustainability and how to take action to solve real world issues.
Today’s global learning crisis provides an opportunity for “critical education reforms that ensure all children receive the education and holistic support they need and deserve” (World Bank, 2022).
In September 2022, the United Nations Secretary-General is convening the Transforming Education Summit (TES) during the 77th UN General Assembly, in New York.
The Summit seeks to mobilise political ambition, action, solutions and solidarity to transform education to:
Last year, 191 students from 31 COBIS schools in 19 countries took part.
Registration for schools will be opening soon.
To register interest in your school taking part, please click the button below and complete the form or email our team using the following email address with the subject line COBIS GSL World Catalyst:
gslcatalyst@future-foundations.co.uk
Once registration opens, we will contact you to invite your school to register and confirm your participation.
Last year the Student Leadership Weekend organised annually by COBIS in Madrid could not take place due to COVID-19. In response, COBIS and Future Foundations developed an exciting online opportunity.
The programme was a real success with 191 young people from 31 COBIS schools taking part. At a time when students could not travel, this programme provided the opportunity for a global community of COBIS students to connect. Whilst we are disappointed that restrictions remain and with travel uncertainty likely to continue throughout 2021, we are delighted to be able to be able to offer this programme for a second year.
The future employment landscape is always changing, and there are lots of choices facing young people around education, jobs and their future! We want to support you to build these skills on our courses by focusing on The Four C’s.
“If today’s students want to compete in this global society, they must be proficient communicators, creators, critical thinkers, and collaborators (the “Four Cs”). Students need to master additional subject areas, including foreign languages, the arts, geography, science, and social studies. Educators must complement all of those subjects with the “Four Cs” to prepare young people for the global workforce”
[Extract from research carried out by the National Education Association].
We have shaped our programme based on The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Learning Compass which has focused on what knowledge, skills, attitudes and values students’ need today to thrive in and shape their world.
The COBIS GSL World Catalyst is shaped to focus on building knowledge, skills attitudes and values through independent learning as well as live sessions connecting young people. We believe in building the right attitude and values in young people as the foundation for GSL programmes.
Reflection is a key component to any GSL programme, as part of the learning process; encouraging young people to reflect on their experience throughout the programme, their own individual learning and building their insight. “We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.” [Dewey (1933:78)]
The Learning Compass highlights the need for “students to learn to navigate by themselves through unfamiliar contexts” [OECD Learning Compass 2030].
The OECD highlight the need to acquire three transformative competencies to help shape the future we want: creating new value, reconciling tensions and dilemmas, and taking responsibility.
When young people “create new value, they ask questions, collaborate with others and try to think “outside the box” in order to find innovative solutions. This blends a sense of purpose with critical thinking and creativity”
Young people “need to be able to balance contradictory or seemingly incompatible logics and demands, and become comfortable with complexity and ambiguity. This requires empathy and respect.”
Young people “who have the capacity to take responsibility for their actions have a strong moral compass that allows for considered reflection, working with others and respecting the planet.”
[OECD Learning Compass 2030]
We are in unprecedented times. Now more than ever we need to learn to navigate ourselves to changing contexts and adapt in ways that ensure wellbeing. The COBIS GSL World Catalyst is an opportunity to learn new skills, develop the right mindset and prepare for the future we want.
We believe it is important to give time and space to develop good mental health and wellbeing. We will work with the young people on the programme to develop their own toolkit they can open anytime in the future when they need it.
In September 2015, world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs). If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
The COBIS GSL World Catalyst will challenge students to THINK GLOBAL and ACT LOCAL, examining the issues behind the Goals and understanding the part they can play by joining the biggest attempt in the history of the human race to make the world a better place.
We also feel that connecting young people from different countries and backgrounds will help shape meaningful discussions on issues as well creating collaborative solutions as Global Citizens.
Many young people are already running their own projects in their school or community, and the aim of the programme is to build and develop knowledge around the SDGs. We will help you to either improve existing projects or start new ones. We will focus on areas such as understanding the users, measuring impact and how to make a project more sustainable.
After the programme, you will be challenged to start your own social action project working in a team of 3 to 7 students which will make tangible changes within school and the community (local, national or global).
You will be invited to enter the GSL Global Goals Competition.
To register interest in your school taking part, please click on the button below and complete the form or email our team using the following email address with the subject line COBIS GSL World Catalyst:
gslcatalyst@future-foundations.co.uk
Once registration opens, we will contact you to invite your school to register and confirm your participation.
young leaders around the world
reported social action projects
schools involved in GSL courses & competition
countries