State of the Field of Systems Education

Authors

  • Bruce Evan Goldstein Associate Professor, Environmental Design Program, University of Colorado - Boulder, USA. Corresponding Author: brugo@colorado.edu
  • Kim Sensener Research and Operations, Transformations Community - Malmö, Sweden
  • Marilyn Mehlmann Co-Founder and Board Member, Legacy17 - Stockholm, Sweden
  • Jayne Bryant Co-Director and Lecturer in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability, Blekinge Institute of Technology - Karlskrona, Sweden
  • Debbi D. Brock Systems Learning and Development Facilitator, Catalyst 2030 - Charlotte, USA

Keywords:

Systems education, Transformation, Sustainability education, Sustainability leadership

Abstract

The article explores the critical role of systems education in steering sustainability transformations, as discussed in a “State of the Field” panel at the Transformations 2023 conference. Experienced educators emphasized the need for fresh perspectives and practices on how to create supportive learning environments for transformation practitioners, educators, and students. A significant emphasis was on personal growth, promoting introspection, and developing active and reflective listening skills to better empower students to be change agents in the world. The panelists also tackled the challenges faced by systems educators, including institutional resistance and the emotional toll of transformative learning, while remaining optimistic about its growing strength. They explored innovative strategies to subtly integrate systems education within traditional institutions and urged the Transformations Community to provide platforms for discussion, knowledge-sharing, and skill development to drive sustainability transformations forward.

Author Biographies

Bruce Evan Goldstein, Associate Professor, Environmental Design Program, University of Colorado - Boulder, USA. Corresponding Author: brugo@colorado.edu

Bruce Evan Goldstein serves as the Lead Weaver of the Transformations Community and Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, in the Program in Environmental Design. He deeply values the TC and is dedicated to nurturing it. His research and practice focus on supporting transformative networks and communities.

Corresponding Author: brugo@colorado.edu

Kim Sensener, Research and Operations, Transformations Community - Malmö, Sweden

Kim has an undergraduate degree in Design + Change from Linnaeus University in Sweden. During her education, she built up and coordinated a local climate student association to push for climate action. With her multidisciplinary background in design, sustainability, research and political science, Kim is striving to contribute to a future beyond sustainability.

Marilyn Mehlmann, Co-Founder and Board Member, Legacy17 - Stockholm, Sweden

Marilyn Mehlmann is the founder of Legacy17, an international not-for-profit cooperative of consultants, practitioners, and educators dedicated to realizing the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Marilyn combines backgrounds in psychosynthesis, empowerment, and action research, and collaborates on the creation of innovative methods and tools for community, personal, and professional development. Marilyn was General Secretary and Head of Development at Global Action Plan International, as well as an entrepreneur and management consultant. She is the co-creator of many methods and tools including the ‘Learning for Change’ methodology which has been adopted in more than forty countries, and she is the author of many publications, including 'A Transformative Edge', and 'Empowerment: A Guidebook for Facilitators'. For her lifetime achievements, Marilyn received the Rachel Carson Prize in 2011.

Jayne Bryant, Co-Director and Lecturer in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability, Blekinge Institute of Technology - Karlskrona, Sweden

Jayne Bryant is a researcher, program designer, and educator in sustainability leadership and community change. She is a lecturer on leadership for sustainability in Australia and the Co-Director of the Master’s in Strategic Leadership toward Sustainability (MSLS) program in Sweden, a program known for its immersive, creative, self-directed, and co-created curriculum. Jayne's recent Ph.D. thesis focused on improving sustainability leadership education and provided recommendations for systems change practitioners and educators.

Debbi D. Brock, Systems Learning and Development Facilitator, Catalyst 2030 - Charlotte, USA

Debbi D. Brock, an internationally recognized expert in social entrepreneurship, serves as the Systems Learning and Development Facilitator at Catalyst 2030, an international network dedicated to altering power dynamics, embedded social structures, and mindsets that impede systems change. Debbi has held multiple positions in higher education, as Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at Wingate University, Berea College Kay Moore Professor of Entrepreneurship, and Director of the Entrepreneurial Resource Lab at Miami University. 

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Published

2023-12-19

How to Cite

Goldstein, B. E., Sensener, K., Mehlmann, M., Bryant, J., & Brock, D. D. (2023). State of the Field of Systems Education. Social Innovations Journal, 22. Retrieved from https://socialinnovationsjournal.com/index.php/sij/article/view/6987

Issue

Vol. 22 (2023): Transformative Partnerships: Proceedings of Transformations Conference '23

Section

Sensemaking and States of the Field

Categories

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Copyright (c) 2023 Bruce Evan Goldstein, Kim Sensener, Marilyn Mehlmann, Jayne Bryant, Debbi D. Brock (Author)

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