Regenerative learning is a holistic approach to education that emphasizes the connections between all systems and stresses the importance of sustainable and regenerative practices. It’s not just about learning skills or knowledge in isolation but about understanding the relationships between different aspects of the world and considering how actions can contribute to the overall health and sustainability of the environment and society.
Regenerative principles in the context of learning should include the following:
- Systems Thinking: This principle emphasizes the connection between all things, living and non-living. It teaches learners to consider the whole system, not just individual parts, and understand how changes in one part can affect the entire system. This can be applied to ecological, social, economic, etc.
- Adaptability and Resilience: Regenerative learning encourages learners to be adaptable and resilient. This includes learning from mistakes, bouncing back from setbacks, and adapting to new situations or information. It also involves understanding how to create resilient systems in the face of change or disruption.
- Stewardship: This principle encourages a sense of responsibility for the world around us. It involves understanding the impacts of our actions on the environment and society and taking steps to minimize negative impacts and promote positive ones.
- Collaboration and Co-Creation: Regenerative learning values collaboration and collective action. It recognizes that we can achieve more by working together than in isolation. This includes collaboration between learners, learners, and educators, and the learning community and the wider community.
- Continuous Learning: Regenerative learning recognizes that learning is a lifelong process. It encourages curiosity and a desire to keep learning and growing. This includes learning from the natural world, other people, and our experiences.
- Regenerative Practices: This principle involves understanding and promoting sustainable practices, such as reducing waste, conserving resources, and promoting social and economic sustainability, but it also includes efforts to repair and restore systems to improve the environment.
- Diversity and Inclusion: Regenerative learning recognizes the value of diversity and inclusion. This can involve promoting diversity of perspectives, ideas, and cultures within the learning community and promoting inclusion and equality in the wider society.
- Holistic Development: This principle emphasizes the importance of developing the whole person, not just academic or professional skills. This can include emotional, social, physical, and spiritual and intellectual development.
By incorporating these principles, regenerative learning can help learners develop a deeper understanding of the world and their place in it and equip them with the skills and attitudes needed to contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future.