Compass Education

How can education help learners make sense of complexity?

"It’s been said that systems thinking is one of the key management competencies for the 21st century. As our world becomes ever more tightly interwoven globally and as the pace of change continues to increase, we will all need to become increasingly ‘system-wise.’"

If today's challenges are interconnected, then learning needs to help students understand connections too.

This introduction to systems thinking explores how looking beyond isolated events and examining patterns, relationships, and underlying structures can help us better understand the world around us. For educators, it offers valuable perspectives for supporting learners in navigating complexity and uncertainty.

Explore the full volume by Daniel Kim :
🔗 https://thesystemsthinker.com/introduction-to-systems-thinking/

Explore how Compass Education supports systems thinking through professional learning, workshops, and courses:
🔗 https://compasseducation.org/learn-with-us/

SustainableHabitsOfMind | LOOK FOR LOOPS

What happens when we stop seeing challenges as isolated events and begin noticing the connections between causes and effects?

This habit encourages learners to move beyond linear thinking and explore the patterns, relationships, and feedback loops shaping the world around them. By identifying what drives continuity and change, students can develop a deeper understanding of complex systems and discover opportunities to take meaningful action.

In sustainability learning, looking for loops helps learners recognize that actions often create ripple effects — influencing communities, environments, and future outcomes in interconnected ways.

Try it in your classroom this week—invite students to map patterns, trace relationships, and explore how one action can influence many parts of a system over time.

🔗 Explore the Sustainable Habits of Mind: https://compasseducation.org/sustainable-habits-of-mind/

Every time educators engage with the Sustainability Compass and Systems Iceberg, the conversations take a different shape — shaped by context, experience, and the challenges communities are facing locally.

In our recent ICT Global Cohort for Asia, educators explored complex sustainability challenges through systems thinking, collaborative dialogue, and creative problem solving. Through activities and mapping exercises, participants examined how topics connected to housing, social equity, environmental impacts, wellbeing, and community resilience can be explored from multiple perspectives.

What stood out throughout the cohort was the depth of reflection and the diversity of approaches shared. Participants explored how these tools can support meaningful learning experiences that are grounded in local realities while helping students think more analytically about interconnected global challenges.

A special thank you to Nicole Swedlow for facilitating the cohort and to Owen Haywood for supporting the learning experience.

Interested in bringing systems thinking into your school or organization? Explore Compass Education workshops and learning experiences at compasseducation.org/workshops

A compass can help us find our way. The Sustainability Compass can help learners explore the many interconnected factors shaping complex global challenges.

Through the lenses of Nature, Economy, Society, and Wellbeing, students can explore topics such as government subsidized housing and the many factors connected to reducing homelessness. From sustainable construction resources and environmental impacts to healthcare costs, safety, community trust, and economic opportunities, the Compass encourages learners to think analytically and make meaningful connections between ideas.

By exploring how systems interact, students can better understand the relationships between housing, wellbeing, sustainability, and social change — while developing deeper systems thinking skills grounded in real-world challenges.

🔗 Learn more about the Sustainability Compass: compasseducation.org/the-compass-education-toolkit/

🌍✨ An amazing opportunity from Earth Force for organizations working with youth and professional development providers!

This no-cost virtual Train-the-Trainer course in Environmental Action Civics is designed to help teams integrate youth-led action into existing programs in meaningful and manageable ways.

📅 June 2, 4, 9 & 11 | ⏰ 12–2 PM MT | 💻 Virtual

We’re excited to share this opportunity with our global network. 🌱

Learn more and apply here: https://ow.ly/mYt050Z3qgh
📩 Contact: [email protected]

🌱📘 A Simple Way to Explore Sustainability at Your School

The Compass Education Free School Sustainability Self-Assessment is an accessible tool designed to help schools reflect on the systems, practices, and values shaping their sustainability journey.

With this resource, schools can:

🔍 Better understand current sustainability practices and priorities.
✨ Identify opportunities to strengthen and expand existing efforts.
🌏 Connect with a global community of educators fostering more sustainable learning environments.

A meaningful first step toward thoughtful, schoolwide action.

Access the self-assessment here: https://compasseducation.org/school-sustainability-self-assessment/

Hace unas semanas finalizó nuestra cohorte en español de 'Pensamiento sistémico para la sostenibilidad en el aula y más allá', facilitado por Nicole Swedlow, reuniendo a educadores de diferentes partes de América, interesados en explorar la sostenibilidad y el pensamiento sistémico desde nuevas perspectivas. 🌎🧭

A través de herramientas como la Sustainability Compass y el Systems Iceberg, las conversaciones profundizaron en los desafíos reales que viven las escuelas y comunidades, ayudando a identificar conexiones, patrones, estructuras y formas de avanzar hacia aprendizajes más significativos y sostenibles.

También fue un espacio para reflexionar sobre cómo la sostenibilidad puede integrarse en la cultura y el aprendizaje escolar, fortaleciendo conexiones entre Naturaleza, Economía, Sociedad y Bienestar.

Gracias a todas las personas que participaron compartiendo ideas, preguntas y experiencias que enriquecieron cada conversación.

Conoce más sobre los talleres y cohortes de Compass Education: https://compasseducation.org/systems-thinking-for-sustainability-in-the-classroom-and-beyond/

How can students better understand the systems shaping our world — from global trade and supply chains to peace-building and sustainability? 🌍

The 2025 Global Goals Week Toolkit offers ready-to-use resources that help bring the Sustainable Development Goals into classrooms through systems thinking, creativity, dialogue, and action.

Through lessons, discussion prompts, and interactive activities like Systems Bingo, learners explore the connections between environmental, social, and economic systems while developing skills such as empathy, collaboration, and futures thinking.

Developed with partners including UNICEF and UNESCO, the toolkit supports meaningful and engaging sustainability learning for different age groups.

Explore and download the resources here: https://ow.ly/6Ef550Z2stT

2025 Global Goals Week Toolkit This toolkit helps young people understand the systems that move our world and prepares them with the skills they’ll need for a sustainable future.

Start the new school year with new perspectives for teaching and learning. 🌍

Join our 2-week online course: Teaching & Learning for a Sustainable World: A Systems Thinking Approach.

Through practical systems thinking tools and collaborative learning, educators explore how sustainability connects across Nature, Economy, Society, and Wellbeing — while discovering ways to bring deeper thinking and meaningful inquiry into any classroom or subject area.

Participants often leave with new ways of understanding complex challenges, greater confidence in creating change, and practical tools that naturally integrate into everyday teaching.

If you’re looking for professional development that is thoughtful, practical, and connected to real-world learning, this course offers a meaningful place to begin.

🔗 Learn more and register: compasseducation.org/compass-education-level-1-online-course/