NEW VENTURES FOR DJOOWAK: THE BEYOND BOUNDARIES INSTITUTE

Professor Yong Zhao Returns To Perth

*Djoowak: The Beyond Boundaries

Institute (BBI) was launched in 2018 to support and guide All Saints’ College in its core business of providing a world-leading Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12 teaching and learning environment for students and staff.

Future-focused and dedicated to innovation and leadership in educational practices, BBI comprises a team of College staff who work alongside partners from the wider educational community and from industry. BBI explores and implements new and flexible structures and practices for learning that recognise, and are focused on, our diverse student cohorts’ interests, abilities, passions and skills, and that are committed to nurturing future-enabled young people.

In 2023, BBI is taking some new leaps, and affirming its place as a respected leader in the world of education and educational research.

After a hiatus of several years, All Saints’ College and BBI were delighted to welcome back to Perth the Institute’s patron, friend of the College, and education transformer, Professor Yong Zhao.

Professor Zhao toured the Junior School, exploring the innovative learning practices taking place every day throughout the classrooms and spoke with the excited students about their ideas, upcoming Inquiry projects and the lens through which they view the world.

Professor Zhao then headed to the Senior School where he met with students who discussed the innovative projects they are exploring both in the classroom and beyond, including business ventures and social enterprises. Professor Zhao provided fresh insights and advice to the students, highlighting the significance of aligning their projects with their interests and passions.

The College’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Scholarship students then joined Professor Zhao for lunch where they shared their exciting projects, thoughts on different learning models, and ideas for the future.

Professor Zhao also posed the complex question: You have another 90 years ahead of you. What are you going to do with it?

All Saints’ College and BBI were then excited to host a seminar at The Studio School for over 40 educators with Professor Zhao to challenge our thinking about how schools and educators can best serve our young people to ensure they thrive in our volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world.

A prominent leader in the field of educational research, US-based academic and 21st century learning specialist, Professor Zhao highlights that a move away from traditional measures of success and narrow models of learning is vital for the future of education. Zhao’s work explores the concept that each learner should be treated as an individual with their own talents and aptitudes, advocating for a ‘strengths-based’ approach that celebrates uniqueness and diversity.

ASC’s approach reflects Zhao’s ideas around education and the importance of it in preparing and shaping people for the real world. The College thanks Professor Zhao for his ongoing relationship with ASC and for being so open to sharing his thought-provoking ideas and supporting our young people as they navigate the complex world.

Reimagined Conference

BBI is committed to connecting all who are pivotal to shaping the world of education. From those at the forefront in classrooms every day to those who dedicate their time and expertise to research which shapes and transforms education, this community is diverse, creative and one from which all members can learn from one another.

ReimaginED23 is an event that epitomises the significance of expanding and uniting this community. In collaboration with the Woodleigh Institute, BBI is hosting ReimaginED23 in Fremantle this year. Set within the civic centres, cultural places and public spaces of the creative city, ReimaginED Fremantle provides a unique setting for deep reflection, collaboration, and learning around the challenges for the emerging future of education. As one of the most innovative education conferences in Australia, ReimaginED brings together a community of teachers, administrators, students, community leaders, parents, researchers and business people with a shared goal of nurturing transformative approaches to learning, teaching and leadership.

Unlike more traditional conferences, it is a highly participative event that creates space for dialogue and deep learning using structured time for contemplation, collaboration, and co-creation. A range of formats allow participants to immerse themselves in deeper learning and conversation from provocations (short, compelling presentations), workshops, spotlight sessions, performance and exhibitions, meet ups, storytelling, and social sessions. All the formats encourage connection, discussion and reflection, exploring new approaches and different perspectives.

The topics and ideas explored at ReimaginED are organised around five overarching themes. They help bring focus, coherence, and depth to collaboration and learning during the event, while promoting new ways of thinking about knowledge, learning, teaching, and leadership. The themes explore:

• Developing ecosystems for improvement and innovation

• Breaking down the walls between school and the real world

• Cultivating capabilities for living and learning

• Nurturing student agency and identity in an age of complexity

• Fostering social-emotional learning for the development of self, others and society

The power of place is significant to the core purpose of the conference; the creative, diverse nature of Fremantle, steeped in a history of trade and activism, supports deep learning and open dialogue.

CONNECTING WITH THE WORLD: NEW BBI WEBSITE

BBI holds a significant space in the education world. To reflect BBI’s contemporary and forward-thinking approach to education, its website recently underwent a full redevelopment.

In the age of technology and instant desire for information, the website serves as a platform to educate the community about BBI, its purpose and its place in the context of education, as well as building the profile of BBI amongst potential partners.

With a focus on clean navigation and usability, the website’s contemporary design helps visitors explore the world of BBI and better understand its significance.

The website also provides an opportunity to highlight and connect with the Beyond Boundaries Advisory Group (BBAG)—an integral and diverse group of educational and corporate leaders who help steer and guide the BBI. The role of the group is to act like a think tank and provide guidance as the BBI works to develop world-leading educational practice that is futurefocused and responsive to global trends, not only within education, but in the world beyond the College.

The carefully crafted elements of the website – from upcoming events and news stories to partnership opportunities and innovative research – provide the opportunity to continue to strengthen BBI’s presence in the expanding and increasingly complex world of tomorrow.