YL Guidebook for Teachers + YOU

“When the winds of change are blowing, some people build walls, others build windmills.”

Youth-LeadeR www.youth-leader.org contact@youth-leader.org Berlin. Germany. charity status

OFFICIAL PROJECT OF THE UNITED NATIONS DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ESD 2005-2014. UNESCO

Youth-LeadeR IN EDUCATION Guidebook for Student Leaders + Teachers

author: Eric Nic Schneider copyright: Youth-LeadeR 2014

Youth-LeadeR is designed to make the finest of youth leadership, sustainability solutions and changemaking part of daily life and learning culture at schools around the globe.

We know that this is new, and there have been challenges in the past to integrate worldchanging activities at school.

As a consequence, we aim to make it easy and fun for you, without stress on finance, time or training, based on conventional methods, and with many benefits for subject teaching, class activities, learning culture and the entire school community.

Contents Welcome 1. About YL Media & Services YL for Education Our 3+3 Pillars of Success Visual Impressions 2. Elements and energies at work in YL’s educational approach 44 The purpose of schooling 46 Learning culture for self-empowerment 48 ‘Transformational Learning’ 50 Role models 61 Hero/ines 64 Visual, memorable media 65 ‘Positive Change Media Culture’ 70 ‘Learning Environments’ + ‘Informal Learning Environments’ 72 ‘Informal Sustainability Learning Environments’ ISLEs 74 ISLE elements 75 Student clubs 82 Passion 89 The methods: student-centred, self-organized, project-oriented 96 Our ‘New Highly Gifted’ 106 Not alphabetization - but literacy in application 108 Basics of Future Sciences 113 Shaping our favourite future - as a society 119 Agreeing on a common vision + a societal model as a destination 120 Shared vision + goal for education 121 Our years at school are only time for learning these vital skills 122 From scientific ‘observation’ to active application 124 Societal relevance 134 Real-life impact 141 Gamification 148 Fantasy, imagination and roleplay 152 Hero role models in Youth-LeadeR 3. Comments on YL in Education 163 Learning ‘Higher Order Cognitive Skills’ 164 Novel opportunity for international partnerships with schools + organizations 166 Untapped super powers of young people in schools 4. Ideas for Using YL in different Types of Schools 174 From ‘Inner City Schools’ to religious, elite, poor and country schools from Canada to Germany, Argentina to China, Senegal to Russia

WELCOME Dear colleague, dear rocking youth, these are special times, and there are important things we care for, for our lives, our future, our people, and this magnificent planet.

We face unprecedented challenges, and it is high time that we learn to tackle them.

I have good news.

The solutions exist. They are being celebrated by media and showered with awards. What’s needed now is their replication - and this can be done by young people and ordinary citizens. Especially by young people in schools!

The global community has understood this, and launched a global program for enabling the young generation to learn the worldview, methods and lifestyle for co-creating a global, peaceful, just, thriving and sustainable civilization: The UNITED NATIONS Decade of Education for Sustainable Development DESD 2005-2014, managed by UNESCO. Youth-LeadeR has status as Official Project of the Decade, and has been recognized for its extraordinary potential for youth and citizen empowerment.

We are connecting outstanding youth leaders, adult changemakers and expert networks with young people and schools, in order to achieve these stakeholders’ shared aspirations for spreading understanding, competencies and life skills for transforming our societies to sustainable models among the young generation.

The contents, methods and services are already in use in tens of thousands of schools.

Our special contribution is to make these exceptional experiences available year-round, as part of school culture, managed by student clubs, in practice - joining, supporting and replicating groundbreaking sustainability solutions. This is the most exciting time to be a STUDENT LEADER, and TEACHERS are their greatest ally.

The benefits of living changemaking as a lifestyle and sport are many, for our personal, idealist and professional paths.

This becomes obvious, when you get to know ordinary teenagers who have unfolded their passion and skills for creating the world they wish to see.

People admire them as hero/ines. Rightfully. But the important point is that your Inner HeroIne cannt wait to start living Lothlorien and Griffindore stuff for real. This is what YL is all about. Learning to wield the magic of changing the world.

People across age groups and cultures frm seventy nations agree: This should be in all schools. Here it is. Enjoy.

Eric Schneider YL Founder. Images & Voices of Hope Award 2012

1 About YL Media & Services

Before we look at the use of YL for education, it is important to understand the extraodinary spirit, people, media and services in YL. Educators and students, media and institutions hold the people and contents in YL in highest esteem.

This will become clear the moment you see the “About YL trailer video.�

About Youth-LeadeR

Required viewing before reading this guide To understand the spirit and quality of young and adult changemakers, sustainability solutions, media, speaker services, methods and 21st century Education that we stand for an enable, please first visit our website and view our "About YL" TRAILER VIDEO. It really opens your eyes and vision to the precious contents, intrinsic motivation and scope of activities that the YL media, methods and services enable for youth, students, teachers and 21st Century learning culture. www.youth-leader.org/about

YL connects the finest from the fields of sustainability, youth leadership, social entrepreneurship, media and education to spread sustainability solutions, serve schools, teachers and students, and ultimately advance positive change towards a peaceful, just, thriving and sustainable civilization.

In concrete, we connect - the greatest young and adult heroes of today - with young people and teachers in schools - with novel media, teaching and action tools - with simple methods for learning culture - with groundbreaking services and community to inspire, involve, equip and empower our young generation all over the planet to learn and apply humanity’s leading, proven solutions for solving practically all challenges of our time.

The solutions exist. So do the role models and support networks. We offer them in fun formats, from card games and action packs to webcasts and reality adventure game - that turn world change into the great adventure of our lifetime. With instant impact, and rich benefits for everyone involved.

Discover a bright new world, and join us in making it happen everywhere, at home and abroad.

Youth-LeadeR for Education THE SCENARIO For the past fourty years, we have been calling for earth-literate, active citizens turning the potential abundance for all into reality. Unfortunately, the aspirations have failed. Still, a majority of urban populations is suffering from inner and outer poverty. Even affluent societies are experiencing bullying and rape epidemic, bad governance, financial erosion and lifesystem destruction on unprecedented scale. This trend has been known, yet continued unstopped for fourty years, it is accelerating, and adult generations have no serious idea how to change anything.

Still, the solutions do exist, by the thousands. They are celebrated in media and showered with awards. And they can be replicated by youth and citizens. All it takes is the right mindset and skills to follow the successful role models.

These are not empty words. It has been proving in thousands of projects, and you can tell from the vibrant media documenting these examples of a bright new world. The more you immerse yourself in it, the more it becomes naturral and evident to you.

To help achieve the fundamental goal of a new learning culture nurturing a generation of empathic, earth-literate youth and citizens able to succeed in creating a global, peaceful, just, thriving, and sustainable civilization, the UNITED NATIONS have orchestrated a massive global effort with the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development DESD 2005-2014, UNESCO.

OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES Central to growing up as active global citizens are 1. SOLUTIONS We discuss global issues, creating an awareness of problems, but offer no solutions that make the difference we need for the vast spectrum of crisis challenges at home and abroad. So what are people going to do? Nothing, or shut down, for avoiding pain and depression. Youth-LeadeR presents an abundance of grand solutions for almost everything - from the heart and tidal wave of the global expert arena.

2. ROLE MODELS The people implementing the solutions, and embodying how it feels and looks to actually be an active changemaker: heroes.

“80% of human behaviour is shaped by role models.”

This is what makes the videos, and the services we offer so effective, real hero/ines! There is good reason why these young heroes are in great demand by schools around the globe, and teachers, students, parents and organizations cherish their contribution.

3. MEDIA conveying genuine changemaker spirit, so we do not only have to rely on the hero/ines brief personal presence. We note the factor of inspiration, right?

This inner, intangible element, the passion and vision, distinguishes recognized youth leaders from apathic citizens. “Find a cause your are passionate about, then take steps of action.”

4. PARTNERS Just like we have partners for our highly gifted musicians and sports players - I call young people with empathy and a sense to create positive change “our new highly gifted” - we need partners for changemaking. That’s real changemakers, the kind of people we offer via YL, through media, “live” encounters and a cocreative global community.

5. INFORMAL METHODS We need to make the inspirational worlds of youth leadership and changemaking part of daily life and learning culture, without stress but with many benefits for the conventional syllabus. The key is to establish cocreative spaces, like changemakers do in coworking spaces of social entrepreneurs, also known as “hubs”. I call them Informal Sustainability Learning Environments ISLEs; they are multimedia exhibits managed by YL student clubs.

These things are quite simple and obvious. In fact, most of us have experienced them ourselves... inspirational speakers, cocreative workshop spaces, amazing student club impacts.

The decisive novelty in Youth-LeadeR is to combine the “best practice” knowledge and tools, people and practices from various fields > in one place >’ translated’, re-defined and packaged for education.

Altogether, it is rather simple. It only requires harnessing the untapped potential that we find in almost any school 1) young people passionate about positive change and 2) equipping them with tools, methods and support for sustaining a year-round flow of activity that is attractive to peers and public, makes an impact and precious for learning culture.

This is precisely what we offer.

The game changer that makes all the difference for impact, behaviour change and feasibility at school is that 95% of these activities, precious learning services to the entire school community, and world changing actions with no less impact than the multi-award winning young hero/ines in our media are IN THE HANDS OF STUDENTS. This is the real game changer, dissolving all limitations that we faced to-date, in terms of teacher time, training and finance.

I encourage you to read “The Science behind YL”, and “The Spark Pack” on our website. They explain the powerful intangible forces at work in the way we shape our lives and societies, and how we can align and nurture those that take us to the sound goals that our heart desires, but that dysfunctional memesets and habits inherited from broken, unsustainable parent generations and societies continue to sabotage. www.youth-leader.org/spark www.youth-leader.org/about/science.html

OUR 3+3 PILLARS OF SUCCESS The YL Spark Session introduces and inspires entire school classes for youth-led action in- and outside school context. We are using the examples of 50 outstanding young heroes in the form of playing cards, posters and videos. Students do a quick research on one heroIne, then share with the class. We share enthusiasm, select favourite causes, learn how to implement them and how to follow up with action.

The HeroIne of the Month Exhibit sustains the spirit of youth-led action on global issues in class through the school year, tuned to UN Days. We are using the same media and methods as for the Spark Session. It only requires a few uplifting minutes per month, and links perfectly with the student club of highly motivated and skilled changemakers.

A bigger version is a public multimedia exhibit, serving as “informal sustainability learning environment, ISLE,� reaching, involving, serving and benefitting the entire school community.

YL Student Clubs make changemaking a sport and take yearround action on replicating model solutions from young and adult heroines of our time.

They can choose to take action in the shape of a reality adventure game, with many additional benefits. Their methods include exhibits, fundraisers, research, project action and social experiments, online and onsite - especially by managing the public co-learning ISLE.

There is a lot of power in those methods. The required equipment, services and community are available on our website and social media streams, in up to 19 languages.

YL Media You need heroes and solutions on the full spectrum of global issues in vibrant, lively, memorable format, conveying genuine changemaker spirit, linking to authentic websites as learning environments, with teaching and action tips, and for using in your own environment to inspire and mobilize hundreds.Even music and musical, perfect for use in music class. Where do you find such? I know of no resource on the web except Youth-LeadeR. YL Webcasts on UN Days How can we interweave global awareness and youth-led positive change with the school year? The easiest is to align with monthly UN theme days. These days offer opportunity to connect with civil society, administration, media and public! Use our posters, resources, activities, speakers, webcasts to educate yourself, your school, and make a difference.

YL Speakers Meet the finest young changemakers on the planet. But don’t waste your and their time on ppt-presentations. Read their stories before the meeting, study their solution, take action!

Then meet “live” at eye-level, celebrate achievements, ask burning questions how to go bigger, and plan common projects.

That’s how our inner HeroIne unfolds.

Now let’s get started!

You have had brief impressions of the media in the trailer video.

The methods are explained in detail in booklets on our website.

The media are available for download on our website.

The cardgame is available for order.

Everybody can join on newsletter and social media streams to stay connected to youth leadership, changemaking and sustainability news.

Student clubs can join our global community of action, and participate in our groundbreaking reality adventure game with real heroes, real benefits and real worldchanging impact: Change Generation Rising

The big magic trick is the Spark Session.

It is simple, yet has high extraordinary potential to spark year-round changemaking activities by a solid group.

Basically, we assign each student a hero card or poster, a homework task to view the story, video and website.

During the session, we present in class, mixed with watching the 4 Spark Videos.

Reactions across age groups and cultures are very uplifting. People in 70 nations agree: "The most inspirational videos I have ever seen."

"It makes me feel I want to get up and do something, as well."

"The most energized lesson ever. Even the most quiet students had something to say."

"Students are inspired, and wish to get involved."

This is our great dream as teachers, parents and changemakers!

And these media and heroines achieve it!

The Spark Session instantly builds on this inspiration by expressing shared enthusiasm, choosing favourite causes, forming groups, deciding on follow-up action, exploring foundation of a student club and managing a monthly mini exhibit in class.

That’s something!

VoilĂ , SPARK mission accomplished!

A long, commented guidebook is available at www.youth-leader.org/about/education.html

Inspired students can follow up by connecting with YL as a student club, and take monthly actions of their choice.

Inspired teachers can sustain the presence of youth leadership spirit and action with monthly mini-exercises taking only a couple of minutes.

If you know your tools and have some experience with intrinsic motivation, informal learning methods, and student club activities, it is pretty easy and a lot of fun.

Results are open, and depend on the participants.

At schools with a vibrant culture of self-organized learning and student club activities, you are likely to have the most tangible effects: an active student club, spreading the spirit and taking action.

However, success does not depend on instant feedback, only. Lasting impact and a changemaking climate unfold through year-round presence.

This can be cultivated by a YL student club, managing monthly exhibits and activities, but also by teachers, with very little effort.

As a teacher or student leader, you have the tools for year-round presence of youth leadership in the classroom, with a "Hero/ine of the Month" mini-exhibit, with brief hero/ine presentations, potential activities and webcasts, tuned to UN Days of the month.

Spark Session OPTIONAL FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

IN CLASS

AS STUDENT CLUB

IN OTHER PLACES

Instant Action

Exhibit at school

Presentation

Hero/ine of the Month exhibit with presentation and activities

Actions, from fundraisers to replication of model solutions

Spark Session

Exhibit UN Day Webcasts

Evolving the exhibit into an ISLE Actions

Integration in subject units

Presentations in class Change Generation Rising Warrior Clan

Field trips

Documenting activities online at YL and in local media

VISUAL IMPRESSIONS

To complete this first part, I am going to leave you with a few visual impressions our speakers, media and activities.

There’s much more to find on our website. www.youth-leader.org

!

2 Elements and energies at work in YL’s educational approach

THE PURPOSE OF SCHOOLING Let’s begin with the doundation and heart of the matter. it tends to be forgotten. And when we lose vision of our goal, we tend to paddle in the wrong directions, or different directions, and do not achieve the desired goal.

School's purpose is to enable the young generation succeed as active citizens of a libertarian democratic society. Today, this society also has to be sustainable, in a global cooperative family of nations.

Whatever we wish to teach them, the relevant effect does not occur in two hours in the classroom. It takes place in self-organized learning outside school, in real life.

For our common aspirations – enabling the young generation to achieve co-creating a global, peaceful, just, thriving and sustainable civilization – we need to enable them to be very different, and much better than unsustainable parent generations of the past – in terms of worldview, memesets, priorities and skills. This means that we have to offer them very different, contents and methods than we have grown up with at school in the past.

This new learning culture is not completely foreign to what and how we have been teaching in schools over the past 20 to 40 years.

But – there is need for building on the best of these methods and experiences, and adapt them to „learning on global issues, creating a better world, education for sustainable development.“ The resulting picture offers us a new way of looking at motivated youth, and integrating a gentle approach for enabling students to learn and live youth leadership, implementing the finest of sustainability solutions, with precious educational benefits for themselves, their peers, teachers, learning culture as a whole, and their communities I have found simple language for explaining essentials of this new learning culture, built on proven methods, but still quite evolutionary and grounbreaking, - easily understood - appreciated by people from all walks of life.

The introduction and application of these activities is simple.

Still, this book has a lot of pages, explaining a lot of ideas.

This is because schools of today still have difficulty, and are failing to offer these learning services for various reasons ranging from irresponsible ignorance to obsolete myths about what school was about, what was possible, and how to implement it.

My purpose, and our duty as teachers, youth and citizens today, is to start offering this learning culture – now, on scale and to the max – and not letting outdated views and principles of a failing unsustainable civilization keep making it impossible.

The arguments and methods compiled in this book deconstruct, go around, complement and upgrade the old suboptimal, and still widespread arguments.

These arguments can be understood and wielded by all stakeholders in the field: young people, teachers, parents, principals, civil society and administration - in simple ways.

A single youth or teacher can introduce Youth Leadership activities at school, and support their initiative with the arguments in this book – to receive green light, appreciation and support by principals, teachers and authorities.

Finally, this is about living up to the true purpose of schools: Enabling the young generation to grow up as active citizens of a democratic, libertarian society, a sustainable society in a global family of nations.

The very real truth is that the children and teens in schools today need to learn to avoid collapse of planetary life systems and societies in their lifetime.

Their parent generations have no idea how to really do anything about it. But the solutions exist. Here are the pillars of the learning culture of inhabitants and co-creators of a global, peaceful, just, thriving and sustainable civilization.

LEARNING CULTURE FOR SELF-EMPOWERMENT We can learn a lot from Phys. Ed., a subject that had to re-define itself and justify its existence throughout history as society's priorities shifted.

Sports / Physical Education is a fabulous example. Our goals in Phys.

Ed. (agility, health, social, mastering the physical world) cannot be achieved in 2 hours per week in class, but only through regular activities, several times a week. We know that everybody has different choices for physical activities, ranging from competitive to playful sports, skateboarding and freeclimbing to activities in nature.

Achieving this goal requires appropriate methods. The curriculum of Lower Saxony from 1998 gives an excellent example: „The purpose of school is to serve the young generation with acquiring skills relevant to their lives. Competitive sports about centimeters and seconds only play a relevant role for 2% of citizens. As a consequence, competitive sports (as we know them from the eras of military drill and battle of ideological systems until 1989) have only a minor place in schools of today.

Their presence in society justifies a basic understanding, but the skills and exercises of Olympic gymnasts, fast swimming, or formal soccer (11 versus 11 with a stone hard ball on a 100 meter playing field) have close to zero relevance to the majority of the population. This is well reflected in young people's disinterest in 20thcentury Phys. Ed. - and we know that many students are „turned off for life“ from pursueing any sports with dire negative consequences on their health, joy and social relations.

In order to enable students to integrate the benefits of physical activity, it is necessary to enable them to find „their sport“, something that they will enjoy pursueing to relevant degree in daily life.

This is where school can help. School has the infrastructure and teaching capabilities to introduce students to the wide spectrum of physical activities (without the costs, memberships, peer pressure etc. associated with testing sports in clubs, workshops or acquiring equipment).

In order to spark students' passion and interest to exploring, pursueing and self-organizing physical activities, we need to introduce them to various sports and enable them to „taste the magic“ in each sport. There

is a „magic” in rolling on boards, in swimming choreography, moving our body head-down through three-dimensional space, moving to music, in volleyball, hiking, orienteering and canoeing expeditions. The „pros“ passionate about these sports know this. But have we made this magic tangible to all our kids?

This requires focus on the right activities, and appropriate methods.

These methods include adaptation of rules. Here is an example: We can enjoy the holistic benefits of volleyball – especially in its originally informal off-spring „beach volleyball” – joy, action, nature, community, competition, without the „official” competition sizes of nets, fields, even number of players, balls or points. In fact, hardly anyone would be playing, if we stuck to the original official format, right?

The success of playful beach volleyball lies in the „adaptation of rules to space, context, players – and the players' competence and goals!!!“ We may adjust teams by number and skills, have highly experienced players refrain from attacking too hard, and instead serving their team mates. This is how we achieve common joy and satisfaction.

Also, we do not play the official FIFA standard soccer at school. My university professor referred to the approach of the Arnheim school, which looks at the core idea of sports. In soccer, it is “to direct a ball past opponents through a goal using only your feet”. This core idea is what we learn. We adapt the game to smaller field, different ball, mixed gender teams, less than 90 minutes, and may also agree that highly experienced boys playing in soccer clubs may only shoot with the left foot, or score points by assisting others. And – everybody may take the role of referee in turns - to learn switching perspectives and playing fair - for everyone’s enjoyment.

If we ignore this adaptation with a priority of enjoying ourselves, there will be unhappiness, suffering, disagreement, argument, eventually injuries - and a break up of the team. Thus, the potential benefits are lost. This is what happens among boys playing soccer by the rules of hard competition, and not being able to tolerate. respect and adjust to different skills and body size. Fights, tears, byebye.

As a consequence, „group dialogue, adaptation and agreement on rules for common maximum benefit“ are part of Physical Education of our time. This is an exercise in democracy. Quite precious, and quite remarkable.

This example serves us well for approaching Learning for Sustainability. See Informal Sustainability Learning Environments, ISLE, in this booklet.

And there is more.

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEARNING Transformational Learning is a process that profoundly changes who we are in relation to the world around us. All of us experience such phases in our lives. Common examples are motherhood, starting a business venture, entering the music business, changing home to live on a different continent, pursueing a spiritual path... in these times we change inside, but also how we act to the outside, we change our homes, our diets, and how we lead our days.

In these phases of unprecedented challenge, asking us to grow beyond ourselves, we study information, but rather reali life examples sharing their experiences through media – but even more important are real people, successfully walking this new path slightly or far ahead of us: Role models.

More about role models in a minute. But first, let’s face our challenge.

What matters to us right now is that overwhelming challenge we all face, and which asks us to achieve tremendous personal growth. Unprecedented personal growth.

And this challenge is to achieve a sustainable society.

In more concrete terms – it means to end planetary destruction, to end gang killings, rape culture, cancer, diabetes and heart disease epidemics, to end bad governance, utterly destructive industries, transform failing school models, the media, the destruction of oceans, the extinction of 150 species per day... to nurture a generation that will make different decisions as politicians, CEOs and stock holders.

What an incredible, intimidating challenge. But there is no way to avoid it.

And because people do not have what it takes to overcome this challenge, model solutions and role models „living the life of successful hero changemakers“, qualifying as inhabitants, stewards and co-creators of a global, peaceful, just, thriving and sustainable civilization, we do not even know what to aim for, how to act, cannot even imagine what it is like, and have no hope. Shocked

by the trauma, we avoid facing it, neglect its existence, to the point of denying its existence, and pushing it to the subconscious, from where it keeps influencing our lives - worse than before.

This happens on personal level, and on collective level, as societies.

As a consequence, 99,9% of people respond with evasion (hiding behind pebbles like sipping on organic sugar lemonade) powerlessness and apathy, ignorance, - all of us ultimately sustaining and passing on the same dysfunctional model to the next generation.

And we are failing to enable the young generation to learn any different.

So much for a blunt assessment of the status quo.

I know from personal experience, that also decision-makers in media and education consciously decide against presenting the gravity of the problem for fear of traumatizing the population. I also know that they know nothing of solutions, of solution-oriented journalism and positive change media culture.

I dare saying it – because I am at home in the worlds of thousands of sustainability solutions and role models galore. And if you know those, the pain turns into positive action.

Mike The Mentor “Role Models in Transformatinal Learning� www.mentoringforchange.co.uk/pdf/CtC%20-%20Trans%20Learning.pdf

ROLE MODELS We often connotate negative feelings with the term „role model“, but these are often related to limited ideas of role models. Boring ideas, and when they come from boring people like our parents or teachers who do not exactly live the life of a hero/ine, they can be very annoying.

But all of us are using role models, and we love them – except that we do not consider our hero/ines as „role models“. But they are, and it works. Sports superstars. Music superstars. Fashion models. Royals. Paris Hilton. Fabricated business „heroes“ making you dream of riches by playing with an electrnic gadget. Ridiculous.

People are more or less conscious of this. Rather not. „80% of human behaviour is shaped by role models.

Much of it subconsciously, like all mammals do.“ Copy-paste.

This is a very powerful truth.

No matter what we talk, we copy-paste memesets, feel-sets and behaviour-sets from the people around us. This includes parents, peers, teachers, and the media – since the mind does not differ much between media and reality.

This is how Paris Hilton clones have appeared on scale. Copy paste.

Subconsciously.

This is how countless other clones are shaped. Yet, none of these illusions take us to what our heart truly aspires. These are fabricated role models, designed for misleading people into buying something.

It's plain fact. It's the biggest business in the world. It conveys almost exclusively un-sustainable role models and memesets, copy-pasted by the population. Or do you see masses of hero/ines living and co-creating a sustainable society?

The influence of role models is crystal clearly known for the spread of violent behaviour in families and neighbourhoods. The quote stems from the world's leading violence-reduction program, Cure

Violence, around Dr. Gary Slutkin. The program has been spreading to dozens of cities across the globe, but is still new to most places.

It yet has to be applied to other fields – especially to „everything positive world change“. How many hero/ine role models do you remember from media and educational materials?

For the past fourty years of green data and appeal-based advocacy in media and education have clearly failed to achieve relevant desired effects. What role models do we remember? What tangible, replicable solutions enabling everybody to co-create a better socio-econo-ecological reality?

This is what we are changing.

The solutions exist. So do the role models spreading and implementing the solutions.

These role models are rightfully called „hero/ines” in awards and media special features.

The logical consequence is to fill our days with hero role models: - their thinking - their feelings - their actions And to live these actions.

Then, our own Inner Hero/ine unfolds.

Note that all this is their espirit“, not their material facade. The typical copy-pasting of fashion, looks, behaviour, spleens is limited to the facade, which is part of the failure of achieving the feelings, well-being and powers we truly aspire.

“80% of human behaviour is shaped by role models, much of it subconsciously, like all mammals do.�

Dr. Gary Slutkin. Cure Violence Looking at violence as a contagious disease, transmitted violent by parents, neighbours, peers and media (BAD role models), Dr. Gary Slutkin has developed an approach to interrupt the spread of violence, change the public image of gang youth, and make violence prevention a public health approach.

The program achieves reduction of gang killings between 40 and 80%, and is being replicated in cities across the USA,Brazil, South Africa, Iraq and elsewhere.

At the heart of the process are Interrupters, which the world perceives as nothing less than hero/ines. GOOD role models.

Article: http://bit.ly/1uPIYTR Video: http://bit.ly/1uPJ65K Website: www.cureviolence.org

Hurtful youth biographies shaped by violent role models can be healed - surprisingly quickly - also at school - with simple methods.

With the right methods, we can liberate and nurture the awesomeness that is the true nature of every child and youth.

Article: http://bit.ly/1uPJxNn Website: www.freedomwritersfoundation.org

We can adapt the wisdom gained from this approach - to fill our daily lives with role models - embodying the finest values and skills for achieving a peaceful, just, thriving and sustainable civilization.

HERO/INES Hero/ines in today's sense – people „giving all that we are, and all that we have, for everything we love.“ (YES! Youth for Environmental Sanity) The new hero definition is important to avoid misunderstandings and to define what makes the kind of role models that safely take us to a sustainable civilization. These heroes seek no self-gratification or profit, they are leaders who dare follow their heart, going where no one has gone before, who do not rule, or abuse, or feed on followers, but empower others to unfold their best noble qualities and create the world they wish to see. „Inspiration“ is what audiences experience in encounters with young and adult hero/ines. People feel uplifted, empowered with can-do feeling, confidence and hope. This is „spirit-transfer“.

Spirit is an intangible quality. You cannot touch confidence, or hope etc.

The shift to a dfferent society and civilization, transformational learning are in their essence a spiritual quest. It is not by coincidence that all grand changemakers have a connection to spiritual tradition, and sacred practice. For some, it is humanist values, refueling in nature, for others yoga, meditation, etc. It interconnects with empathy learning, ethical values and more.

However, the full, empowering experience of role model encounters includes not only intangible inspiration. This have been the incomplete role models of the Sixties and Seventies, who lived wildly or advocated for change with speeches.

Our quest of societal transformation requires tangible changes, beyond talk.

We need to combine „spirit transfer“ with „knowledge transfer“'of concrete, feasible, replicable solutions for positive change, and support.

This includes media and methods for mobilizing community etc.

So far, inspirational speakers, even accomplished young changemakers mostly (can only) deliver an inspirational speech, but fall short of providing the necessary, complete set of

- spirit - knowledge - action opportunity - tools and - community Our mission and service to them is to complement, format, define and provide their stories, tools and services to the young generation, teachers and caring citizens.

Our mission and service for young people and teachers is to provide - countless stories of hero/ines in powerful, memorable visual format, conveying genuine changemaker spirit - with teen- and citizen-led model solutions on the full spectrum of positive change and sustainability, explaining the steps to success - a large variety of novel media from cardgames and comics to poster sets, teaching tools and exhibits in a box, video collections and action packs, music and musical, even complete curricula - in up to 19 languages, serving all classrooms on the planet - tools and strategies for evoking and replicating cascading changes like the her/ines - quality resources like first-hand reports on global issues - living up to the values, principal and scientific knowledge of the UNITED NATIONS - media and methods for easy introduction of youth leadership spirit and activities in school context - media and methods for year-round youth-led changemaking activities with real impact - benefitting conventional subjects, learning culture, the school community, and the school's public recognition - speakers and live meetings with experts, onsite and online - year-round flow of actions, tuned to monthly UNITED NATIONS theme days, for easy integration into the school calendar - student club community, supporting youth groups with a year-round flow of media, actions, together with hero/ines and online platforms for documenting activities, achievements, celebration, feedback and consultation - reality adventure game as a groundbreaking youth leadership self-learning program, together with outstanding young and adult changemakers of our time This large variety of vibrant media, action packs, activities, methods, encounters, community and services equips teachers and students to apply them for various contexts, users and occasions.

VISUAL, MEMORABLE MEDIA You know from experience how inspirational heroes and videos work.

You could take the same story and person, and tell it in a boring way, or at least with very little memorable, uplifting and empowering effect.

The key elements making „positive change media“ are - conveying the genuine changemaker spirit - illustrating a model solutions - replicable by ordinary people - with links to tools and support for taking action Few pieces of media provide these ingredients.

The Spark Videos clearly show you the power of genuine changemaker spirit in the video.

We aim to provide complete media resources covering all these aspects.

Often, it takes more than a short video clip. We usually combine - inspirational videos - the essential short story - article - interview - website - action tips - teaching tips in an Action Pack.

This combination makes the difference.

If you wish to teach or learn about a particular global issue to make a change (isn't this what we are teaching and learning for???), the YL Action Packs offer you the probably finest and richest collection on the topic in the world.

That's bold to say, but other sources are simply incomplete, shallow or boring.

Tamara Murray on media: “Make it memorable” http://bit.ly/X58Zz9

POSITIVE CHANGE MEDIA CULTURE Since the year 2000, when I came across solutions, positive news and sustainability education, I have been wondering - why the changemaking movements have been failing to replicate model solutions with the global public wishing for positive changes - why they fail to communicate model solutions in an uplifting, empowering fashion - why education is not including hero/ines, solutions and pertaining activities to relevant degree and scale I have found answers, drawn my conclusions and come up with my own box of solutions, books of knowledge, media formats, alliances and services to build the link between - humanity's leading changemaking knowledge fit for the 22ndCentury - humanity's finest, most pure and accessible changemaker role models - simple, powerful media conveying spirit and knowledge - educational methods and services - action community with a lot of benefits and - the bigger picture of Positive Change Media Culture How to shape the future, and upgrade our selves, our societies, civilization to inner and outer abundance for all.

It's a bit too much to include here, but you have tasted a few bits, which hopefully make yu sense that there is something meaningful in it, and that raises your curiousity to know a little more about it, and browse the whole picture.

These thoughts are collected and illustrated in YL Publications accessible on our website.

In these publications, all these aspects are aligned one after another, forming a holistic image and vision telling us that the solutions for a global, peaceful, just, thriving and sustainable, a sacred civilization exist. Right now. Replicable by ordinary citizens, like you, in the time of just one generation. That the wonderful support networks are accessible. That each of us can learn, implement and evolve this fairly quickly in our wn contexts. And that we only need to learn and do this.

That's really big news.

This revelation is a fundamental factor of hope and conviction that starting novel efforts of transformation is worthwhile.

This tangible vision gives us drive, motivation and endurance to get moving, learn, upgrade, spread and implementing these solutions around us.

Just reading and watching them on film is one thing. You may still just stay an observer, with zero relevant effect (that's part of the problem).

Experiencing them with all your senses in real life is another thing. But if and when this happens is for the divine rhythms of the Universe to determine.

Communicating available solutions and the vision of their potential collective application is the great challenge of our time.

Youth-LeadeR is at the forefront of this „positive change media culture“ - of media facilitating the co-creation and stewardship of this beautiful civilization. In the words of our reality adventure game: „The Liberation of Paradise.“

www.youth-leader.org/spark www.youth-leader.org/library

LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS Learning environments are very important for holistic education.

Typical examples are school gardens, nature centres and living museums.

Needless to say, they offer precious learning dimensions that are impossible in classroom teaching.

INFORMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS Back to our example of sports and Physical Education.

Standard basketball courts and training are one way of learning and evolving as a basketball player. But – is this the way how icons like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or LeBron James have evolved their skills? No. They have spent the majority of their young years on street courts, playing on one basket, 2 vs 2 and so on. African and Brazilian soccer superstars have learned their extraordinary dribbling skills partly from playing barefoot or sandy pitches. F or children, slopes with tree trunks and boulders are informal learning enironments for gymnastics and athletics. In gym halls, jungle like arrangements for playful, freestyle gymnastics inspire us to navigate our body through space in unusual ways. Every child loves this. We do not love standard gymnastics, that's for sure. Basketball fields on playgrounds are informal learning environments. This is where those inspired by role models / media / a sports class deepen and evolve their intuitive skills to master level. The final polish is made in sports clubs.

Have you heard of LearnScapes?

LearnScapes are a growing trend in Australia – transforming the school ground into natural and designed spaces, with tree houses, ponds, amphitheatres, peace gardens, co-created by children and teachers from the early dreaming to planning and manifestation phase. The

process and results have extraordinary educational value, and all aspects can be interwoven with subject learning.

Australian LearnScape designers have told me that the approach is widespread in Great Britain – but: the LearnScapes are designed topdown, by authorities, and not by the school communities. Naturally, this is a very suboptimal approach, losing out on 95% of learning potentials, ownership and stewardship.

These are informal learning environments.

What do typical „'informal music learning environments“' look like?

That's band rooms.

I see a large variety of instruments, band posters (heroes, role models), music videos, lots of music (spirit, role models), unlimited access to the space, individual play, jam sessions, a lot of fun and laughter, group sessions, structured and spontaneous action, creativity, foolish play, experiments, guest musicians, open-end and late night sessions, and sometimes performances. The seeds of this space are performances in other places, uplifting and involving audiences, getting booked and making headlines.

Can you think of informal sports learning environments?

What do „informal sustainability learning environments“ look like?

- What heroes, stories and videos do we watch?

- What activities take place?

- What kind of guests appear?

- What do we perform?

- How do we involve and uplift audiences?

- What kind of media headlines do we make?

- What kind of bookings do we receive?

LearnScapes Australia: http://learnscapes.org

INFORMAL SUSTAINABILITY LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS. ISLEs I see - posters of hero/ines - inspirational videos - stories of changemakers - campaigns - action tools - project planning with - changemaker guests - live webcasts activities - in class - fundraisers - philanthro-parties - social experiments - presentations - cinema sessions - exhibits - mini- We Days - cooperations with field partners and - project implementation - speaking dates - presentations at events, conferences, etc - exhibits - volunteer trips etc.

These are typical activities, managed by a handful of young people passionate about positive change. They can be implemented by young people everywhere, with rich benefits for learning culture. All they need are the model, role models, media, basic methods and supportive community.

www.youth-leader.org/education

ISLE ELEMENTS include 1.) Poster exhibitson young and adult changemakers, tuned to UNITED NATIONS theme days of the month These posters serve as a frame „holding the space“, creating a „stage“ for gathering, dialogue, project planning and activities.

2.) Tables for media and fundraisers, bake sales, campaigns, social experiments 3.) Video and multimedia items, on computer screens or via projector 4.) Monthly projects, studying, supporting, spreading and replicating sustainability solutions, online and onsite 5.) Webcasts 6.) Colaboration with local partners for volunteering, projects, campaigns; announcement of local engagement opportunities 7.) International project partnershipslike adopt-a-village, visually documenting progress in the ISLE These activities can be managed by a handful of youth, like a student club.

The space, media, resources and activities are of great value for teachers, students, subjects, extracurricular activities and school culture.

Active student club members can be excellent role models to their peers, if they unfold the same trust, strength and passion as the young hero/ines in YL.

STUDENT CLUBS Student clubs are widespread and highly appreciated for their learning potentials.

However, they also struggle with challenges, like lack of - media and tools - partners - societal relevant projects and impact - inspiration and motivation - attractive presence at school - for inspiring and mobilizing their peers - interlinkage with subjects

These examples show us the great impact that student clubs can achieve. Adults cannot even do this.

What if we had one such powerful student club at every school?

And why should it only be a handful of students, focussing on one activity? What if we had several student clubs, each engaging in half a dozen and more solutions?

www.youth-leader.org/about/student-clubs.html www.youth-leader.org/cgrising

PASSION – the fire inside, the uplifting vision Inspiration is a key quality of successful young and adult changemakers (hero/ines). Passion is the key of success in any learning process. Neuroscience has been telling us for fifty years. We know this from experience.

We are told so by language teachers. http://bit.ly/1hLrRQX We are told by music teachers (at 13min50). http://bit.ly/1hLrWnH „Sing about something you are passionate about. It can be love, anger about school, sorrow about species extinction... whatever is your topic – if you tap into it, and sing, it will be good.“ Vernon Bush We are told by changemakers as Craig Kielburger, and they all agree: „Find a cause you are passionate about, and take small steps of action.“ Passion is how we choose our sports, our music, our travel destination, our arts, the films we watch, the books we read, the games we play.

It is indispensable - that our educational media are full of passion - that our METHODS allow for passion, expression, creativity and celebration - that we as teachers feel + express our passion for positive change issues - that we stop being boring and suppressing emotions Negative and positive emotions are part of the same coin.

Most or rather all “hero/ines” (and social entrepreneurs) have awakened and started on their quest by discovering that the world is “broken”, and given space to feeling the pain. www.startempathy.org When we experience suffering – as victim or witness - and our empathy turns into outrage, positive change happens, when we do not express this energy in anger, but in creative change action.

Here are examples of teens who learned about human suffering at school and took action.

What if we dared address the real world - that our kids know of anyway at every school, gave voice to our feelings, gave space to dream up solutions and find out model solutions successfully implemented by others?

www.youth-leader.org/cgrising

THE METHODS: STUDENT-CENTRED, SELF-ORGANIZED PROJECT-ORIENTED Changemaking is an organically unfolding process. You can partly structure it in the style of entrepreneurs, but still, development and manifestation will always evolve organically, with unforeseen hurdles, jumps and miracles. There are a lot of players, sources of support, opposition, events and trends involved that one simply cannot foresee.

Just like SPORTS and PHYSICAL EDUCATION require not only scientific observance, but action, formal but mostly informal, based on personal passion, preferences and self-organization outside school – this is where everything happens to a relevant personal and societal degree – Education for Sustainable Development ESD is an active process. It cannot be achieved only with formal, conventional classroom based methods.

CLASSROOM PRESENCE is required, through - a Spark Session - a YL cardgame in class - a Hero/ine of the Month mini-exhibit tuned to UN Days - brief presentations on these hero/ines - presence of the YL student club and on top, TIME & SPACE & OPPORTUNITY - for informal student-centred, self-organized, project-oriented activities, in YL student clubs connected with real changemakers and real action at home and abroad.

OUR NEW HIGHLY GIFTED Craig Kielburger calls them Shameless Idealists.

Others call them Intelligent Optimists.

But how can we integrate them into our educational frameworks at school? Here is what I have come up with.

I call them „Our New Highly Gifted“, - and this term helps us recognize and define their value and role for the world of education, and to apply methods that we have already been using for decades with highly gifted athletes, musicians and chess players.

What do we grant the highly gifted?

We provide - time and space at school for practicing their skills - oriented at world class role models; not local musicians, but Mozart - in self-organized ways, with - an adult mentor offering support on demand; who needs not have the same kind of skills - outer school expert partners; like a music school - performance of their skills at school; for the benefit of their peers - performance of their skills in public, uplifting people and making headlines - opportunity to take days off to perform, present and share their skills with the world This is what we offer talented ball and chess players.

We all call for young people to be empathic and active citizens, which is very fine. At the same time, we complain that the vast majority displays no empathy, but indifference.

So, if only a small minority displays these noble traits – and ascend above the dysfunctional, hurtful meme- and behaviour sets that the

communities and media created and passed on by adult generations - then this small minority is like what we call „highly gifted.“ How do we treat young people with a priority of healing our broken societies? These are young people naturally resilient to fascination with glittering gadgets, gossip, bullying, overconsumption, porn, violence, self-destruction and greed. These are young people naturally inclined to protecting the planet and our magnificent planetary life systems from the bad governance and abominable destruction that we have inherited from earlier generations, that we see at work every day in the news, criticize, and keep transmitting to the young.

They are our finest!

They are our future social entrepreneurs and cultural creatives, the ones who are going to fix our broken civilization – IF we give them time and space and opportunity and support to learn and unfold and manifest these skills.

Why wait until the stumble across these things by chance at age 20+, when they are caught up with a busy life, and already infested, damaged and handicapped by the unsustainable society’s memesets of “if’s”, “but’s” and “unfortunately’s”?

As we see from the youth leaders in the YL Trailer Video and Spark Videos, these awesome youth are not our future but today's social entrepreneurs, tapping into resources and achieving things unattainable by adults - as they have access to several superpowers only available to youth at school. You can find out more about these superpowers at www.youth-leader.org/about Yet, what do they experience? They are being told that there was no time for this at school. That they should focus on their B in chemistry.

That they had no idea and should leave the important decisions to adults. Yeah, right, great progress made for the past furty years. And worse – they are being bullied as „treehuggers“ and „nigger-lovers“ by their psycho-emotionally dysfunctional peers! That is not a pretty picture.

These are truly the most shocking symptoms of an unsustainable civilization whose inhabitants run on bugged and obsolete Win 95 operating systems that could not even run the dynamic high energy software of young changemakers.

Some of our young hero changemakers, celebrated globally, showered with awards, used as role models in class, booked as speakers at schools, and in demand at the UN are „'1ethe only one“'1c at thair school and bullied. And this in the only two countries that even have a mentionable culture of youth leadership, Canada and the USA. In the rest of the world this new „sport“ of youth leadership is not even known!

There is a long way to go.

Well, now for the good news We have the role models, the solutions, support networks, and the CONCEPTS of how to handle highly gifted students already exist, even in those backward provinces of the world, where education for sustainable development is still considered a foreign term and negligable fantasy.

Okay, so be it – dear YOUTH and progressive educators, we are not waiting.

We have a duty to attend school, but we also have a right to a contemporary education that enables us to learn the skills that school's purpose is all about:

Acquring the skills and „literacies“ of an active citizen in a democratic, libertarian society, a sustainable society in a global, peaceful, colaborative family of nations.

And until these skills are fully learned in subjects and class activities, we demand the right and support to enable this learning culture (at least for those who choose it, the ones living up to the sound priorities of our civilization at this time in history) through self-organized studentmanaged activities, - in an ISLE – in partnership with humanity's most distinguished youth leaders, visionary changemakers and sustainability experts; without any stress on school finance, time, or teacher training.

This is my Mantra for children and youth. And for educators.

Summing it up, here is what we give our New, Highly Gifted: TIME + SPACE + OPPORTUNITY + EVENTS + PARTNERSHIPS

TIME to learn and practice their changemaking skills - as a student club - everpresent in breaks, recess etc, with their ISLE, see „Space“ below - leave for special occasions

SPACE to learn, meet, co-create, and to educate, involve and uplift their peers - a multimedia exhibit tuned to UN Days and more in a pleasant public space at school, well visible, accessible and frequented by the school community = an Informal Sustainability Learning Environment, ISLE - with interactive elements as fundraiser tables, social experiments, design space for creating materials for performances, campaigns, presentations etc This way, „their music and sport“, youth leadership and sustainability solutions, become an uplifting and integral part of everyone's life, their skills and services well-known to teachers and students

OPPORTUNITY for sharing their precious knowledge, skills and services - presentations in class - stands on school festivals - week-end actions and philanthro-parties - speaking and workshops at other schools - presentations and exhibits at events and conferences etc

EVENTS Others have sports competitions and music festivals. Young changemakers take action on special occasions like International Days, civil society campaign dates etc. Some can be planned early in the year, others pop up at short notice.

YL student clubs have all it takes to upgrade, and also to organize events, such as film screenings, presentations and workshops, philanthro-parties, day-outs, expeditions, but also youth action days, mini-We Days, volunteer conferences, walk-acts and Hero theatre performances at farmers' markets, green conferences etc Encourage and support them to practice their skills, give them time off, and have an open ear for „new things“ like connecting with philanthropic clubs and sponsors.

PARTNERSHIPS Music and arts clubs often form alliances for exchanges with clubs at other schools and in other nations.

Young changemakers form alliances with project and field partners.

This can be local homeless shelters, regional national parks and development projects abroad. Free The Children's adopt-a-village program is a fabulous example.

YL student clubs have access to young hero/ines with field partners or running development projects. The personal colaboration enables monthly visual feedback on progress, which adds to motivation

and learning, as students and the entire school community see successful projects unfold, build a bond and see the fruits of their support and efforts. This tangible impact is a rare and enriching experience.

Outstanding examples are Julia and Emma's book drives and unfolding partnerships with 49 First Nations fly-in community schools, and Hassan's 100 day literacy training courses for village girls, with option for live skype meetings.

Namaste Nepal, a social business set up and run by school students demonstrates how a handful of ordinary teens can turn a few hours per week and simple yet brilliant ideas into full-fledged $40,000 a year development partnerships for a partner village in the Himalayas with activities from libraries to school buildings, reforestation to greenhouses and new crops, energy efficiency and eye-clinic camps. It is very simple. The necessary knowledge is widespread in civil society and the develpment sector. The inclusive methods for people to people dialogue and communitybased decision-making on what needs and innovation the community wishes to tackle exist.

Such personal contacts also facilitate personal visits by students for a life-changing experience, experiencing their stay not as a tourist, but as a friend, family and ally. Students of Namaste Nepal, Daniella, Lulu, Neha, Julia and Emma, Zander, ... they have all followed invitations to their partner projects, and combined the stay with supportive campaigns and developing new ideas.

By vividly documenting their journey, they have easily generated media presence at home, set up exhibits in the town hall, given presentations at schools, and thereby built more support for the projects, citizens' bridges for their town's own „eco-cultural partner destination“ with uniquely rich experience opportunies – and another precious pillar for development through the very best kind of „tourists“.

Such examples exist by the thousands, but few tap into all potentials. Usually, because they lack the ideas, trust, basic consultation by partners, and vivid media work.

Our well illustrated examples and tips empower young people and teachers! - to break beyond these limitations.

The best time to be at school starts right now!

NOT ALPHABETIZATION – BUT LITERACY IN APPLICATION „Education for Sustainable Development“ is about an active process.

Achieving a sustainable, peaceful industrial society, - with a cancer rate of 0-2% (not 30%!), - with a rape rate of 0-2% (not 30-80%!)

- with couples able to have children (in Germany, today, 1 in 7 couples can not have children due to infertility of one or both partners. It is largely due to hormone active chemicals in the water) is a long-term active process. It is less about knowing, but more about doing. About applied knowledge. About literacy, not mere alphabetization. „Alphabetization“ is learning the alphabet, and proper combination of symbols for communication of basic information. „Literacy“ means the application of language in different contexts.

Such as: a poem, a love letter, a novel, an essay, song, a news article, scientific article. How literate are we in applying your language?

How literate are we in co-creative decision-making for the common greater good, including all species and for coming generations?

This is democracy in a sustainable society. Read again what it entails. „Co-creative decision-making for the common greater good, including all species and for coming generations.“ The old model of „special interest groups“, born in the ruins of monarchy when nobles, rich and workers were battling over rights of mere survival by humane wages, working conditions in mines and heavy industry, health insurance and week-ends … has close to nothing to do with democracy. On a side note: If you and 200 people set out to create an intentional community in nature – would you really start „'1epolitical interest groups“ rigidly opposing each other and sabotaging any relevant societal upliftment? Anyway...

The point is: making a malinformed cross on paper for a special interest group known through history of not living up to its adverts and behaving in foul ways is hardly even alphabetization. Populations are not yet

literate in the basics of cocreative decision-making for the common greater good. How could they, if their years of learning (before they have to run for economic survival and changing diapers) are an old school model representing a very different societal model? Agreeing on rules in Phys. Ed. is like the first ever official democratic experience in a school environment. Anyways...

How literate are you - in peacemaking?

- in sustainable consumption?

- in sustainable production?

- in holistic governance?

- in meaningful media, the macrocommunication sphere of our society, for upliftment in times of peace, solutions and empowerment in times of crisis - in learning and education?

- health and well-being?

- in love, sensuality and uplifting companionship?

Considering the facts and data of societies today, at best 2 to 5 % may be literate in one or two of these disciplines. In a sustainable society, it is 90+%.

Honestly, we have hardly been alphabetized in any of these.

And that is the QUEST of Education for Sustainable Development.

BASICS OF “FUTURE SCIENCES” We have been gently taking off into the skies for looking at the big picture. Please glide along a little bit longer.

It is very important that we re-check on the purpose of schooling, our profession and aspirations as teachers, our rights as students, parents and citizens for re-balancing and aligning our life at school to successfully overcome the challenges of this century.

Where do we wish to go, together, as a society? Which „future scenario“? „Future Sciences“ tells us that the future is not a coincidence. It is shaped by a set of factors.

1.) Trends.

Things that have been going on for a while. Also culture, consumption patterns...

2.) Accidents.

Meteors, earthquakes, chemical catastrophes...

3.) Intention.

Wars, laws, regulations, cultural and consumer trends...

4.) Vision What future do we envision? Changing a monarchy to a democracy?

Turning a democracy into fascism? An urban future like in Star Wars? Life on Mars? Sustainability?

We are actually shaping the future all the time!

Here is an example: Your next holiday.

You are dreaming up a location, and what you are going to do there. a) If you are choosing a hotel holiday on the beach, you have a pretty clear idea what that future is going to be like. That's a solid future, with few and fixed coordinates.

And it’s rather boring, if you ask me, compared to other holiday designs of our time. Also, there is no such way of creating a new societal model - except staying on the hotel Titanic, and go down the waterfall.

Let's try another: b) If you are choosing a backpacking trip to Laos, you will set certain coordinates: the trainride from Thailand to the border, walking over the bridge into Laos. A backpacker hostel in the capital. A few days exploring places. Then moving around in the country, to the jungles, and to the North Eastern silversmith villages.

In these segments of your journey you use certain base camps like a hostel, or a tour, - but you stay open to surprise, and the days on the tours will also be open to surprise – unlike days in the beach hotel.

As an advanced backpacker, you will travel to „highly attractive“ regions, find a place to stay, and find out about local things to do, not even consulting a travel guide.

And then, there's those travellers who just take a bike and travel around the planet, open to surprise each day, trusting that they will find a place to stay, some help by hospitable locals, and invitations to experience great festivities etc. This is the richest and most intense experience.

Today, we have a lot of exciting travel blogs and books of this kind. And this is good news.

Because this is how we shape our personal future.

We also do so when deciding which club to go to in the evening, whether we go to school or not tomorrow, which job or study we choose, the place we choose as home.

Life and the future are navigable!

Exciting?

I think so.

I am not the only one who knows that this works.

Industry is using it. The entire advertizing industry is based on it.

They are even actively tapping into how “myths and heroes” have functioned in millenia of human memory and apply this for triggering positive reactions for their products. And it is wielded with perfection in political advertizing.

Governments are using it. Hitler and Goebbels have been using it to create a common vision - based on myths, but it worked. The Bush administration has been using it to create a negative myth tapping into people’s fears, a myth of a global enemy and terror scenario and an invasion of Iraq for some great purpose, based on lies, fabricated illusion, oppressing opposition, and it has worked. Its effects and argumentation still work. The Obama campaign has used it to build a positive myth based on the other people’s aspirations. An illusion, and still it has worked and remains in people’s minds, gutting opposition, - and business as usual, revolving doors the exact, same paradigm of unsustainable society is continuing.

But now, all hope for transformation by the old decision-making strata and “leaders” is dissolved. Leaders pertain to the paradigm of monarchy, anyway. And do you remember that “we” dreamed up a societal model that would not be dependent on the psychoemotional defects of a small group of leaders? Because not everyone has my and your wisdom, heart, naive, honourable intention of thinking of the best of the whole - especially the ambitious ones.

In a democracy, government is supposed to be an administration only. An administration to implement the manifestation of the will of the population, not their own fantasies. Remember? This is why it is called an administration. Memesets, behaviour and role models have not changed much since the 1920’s European revolutions.

I don’t know whether you as a person prefer a blue-blooded divinely instated monarchy, fascism, or whatever. Your realm of

myth and self-deception is yet your personal choice to make. In accordance with the UNITED NATIONS, religion is a private matter of choice and practice, that populations and states have the right to choose their own political and socio-economic model, and that a good monarchy can be better than a bad democracy.

But since the majority of states, common agreement and education systems do state their favour for libertarian democracy congruent with human rights and sustainability, I take a GOOD DEMOCRACY as the vision and benchmark for our quest in Youth-LeadeR. Our starting point is that we have BAD DEMOCRACIES, with democracy-illiterate citizens still operating on a model of subjects in a gentle monarchy with unsustainable industry, production, consumption, habits, addictions and lifestyles. But the populations - and especially the kids and teens - wish to achieve a GOOD LIFE for everybody, in tune with all species on a magnificent planet rich in human diversity and cultures. Without war, without rape.

That’s a good start.

So, let’s at last learn how to turn our priorities into action and reality.

SHAPING OUR FAVOURITE FUTURE - AS A SOCIETY Now – where do we wish to go as a group? As a society?

How about navigating our way out of the Dark Age of Subjugation, Exploitation and Unsustainabilty? And shifting away from the Industrial Orc Titanic that's now going over the waterfall?

Let's adapt this approach to our common future.

The mind thinks in images and geographic images. That's how we our minds and beings are evolutionary coined to orient ourselves on this planet. And it works very well. So let's use it.

Think of a canoeing or sailing journey to an island.

There are islands on the horizon. They are futures. A paradise of inner and outer abundance using our best evolved industrial achievements and sciences in sound balance. A scorched robot planet. An eco-society with a dictatorial system.

Which one do you choose to paddle towards?

What are the skills we need?

What equipment? What are our base camps?

How go we nourish ourselves?

Which path takes us there?

The GOAL determines our actions. Our direction. How we paddle.

How we communicate in our boat community. I swear that conversations will be different in our boat, if we decide as a group to paddle to Paradise Island, or whether a power mongerer forces all of us to paddle to the scorched robot island.

Are you getting the message for the course of our societies?

So, for this journey, and this future – like for the Laos backpacking trip – we determine certain base camps (the proven model solutions that qualify to be part of this great future), have basic equipment (just the good things to have a good time and experience the magnificent wealth that this life has to offer), group methods (for cooperation and decisionmaking) and ADJUST to what's currently happening on the transformational journey – since... .. creating a sustainable civilization will stay a transformational journey of constant co-creation, dialogue and creative interaction for seventy years.

The alternative is going over the waterfall and get smashed in the Industrial Titanic, ending up in a wasteland eaten up by humans turning into orcs and demons preying upon another. You see it happening already in the areas of crisis, and the web that contained them is unravelling.

I prefer to choose strengthening this web of life and living inside it, in abundance.

And that's a choice that many people would make as well. Right?

Which one would you choose?

The „”problem“ is - that people dream of living in a good world but - do not know of the solutions and in their despair - turn to creating a rich life for themselves, at the cost of others, taking shapes from power politicians, corrupt CEOs and bankers, heartless billionaires, gang rapists … it is always the same pattern: personal pleasure by feeding on others.

Feeding on others is the big can of worms behind racism, subjugation of women, exploitation of children, economic injustice, even bullying.

Even in its least directly violent form - amassing tangible riches - this choice comes at great loss of true liberty. For example, as power politician, big CEOs, bankers or billionaires – you cannot just take backpacking trips or even walk around in the streets. You confine yourself to walled properties, limousines and safety guards.

To me, and many other sustainable people, this is poverty.

And you may find that the people eager to amass tangible riches and properties and very poor in terms of intangible properties: - ecological wealth - cultural wealth - spiritual wealth This concept is the fondation of Gross National Happiness, used as basis of governance in Bhutan, and taught in all schools.

Ecological wealth is not ecocultural tourism, but immersion in nature.

Cultural wealth is not watching a performance, a ticket in your bag and politely clapping - it is active participation like in jam sessions and every African village party.

Spiritual wealth is not dogma, but ... well... practitioners know ... and you will find that monks, backpackers and full-blooded musicians culd not care less about being stuck in an office, being nasty and playing bitch or pimp for an illusion of self-worth. That’s where we get even deeper into the can of worms - lack of self-love, born from psychoemotionally dysfunctional families. And there closes the circle of advertizing and political campaigning - tapping into subconscious intangible needs, proposing remedies - that sell, but will never help.

And since their images (role model) fills all media, the majority of people becomes programmed „copy-paste“ to follow the same illusion, and pursue the path of un-sustainability in all imaginable forms.

Kids are resistent, for reasons. And teens and adults can be resilient to that programming, IF they have experienced more awesome lifestyles.

More awesome worlds. Many of us have made the „disruptive experience“ of discovering this different, better world – on backpacking expeditions into nature – when falling in love with diving - when discovering sacred practices, and playful acro yoga communities. I know that our young changemakers are leading richer, more happy and fulfilled lives, with true friends, true love and endless liberties and opportunity.

Further, fortunately, besides the main media, parents, neighbourhoods, peers and teachers, there exist other „dreams of worlds“ that people enjoy. Imaginary realms where good values reign.

Backpacking holidays are not enough. The lesson in backpacking is falling in love with the planet, and then protecting the planet, and using our skills of trust, imagination, cooperation and adjustment.

More on these matters in YL Handbooks 1 + 2 “A Bright New World is Happening” “Positive Change Media Culture” at www.youth-leader.org/library

Now back to creating a future of a Sustainable Civilization. Lothlorien.

We need people to know - about solutions.

- about a myriad of solutions - naturally guaranteeing a life of inner and outer peace and abundance - access to a continuous flow of inspiration - access to tools - access to knowledigble community

… and to commonly AGREE on starting on the journey, together, … into that future … to that island

AGREEING ON A COMMON VISION & A SOCIETAL MODEL AS A DESTINATION And are there any publicly agreed goals in our society for the future?

In todays's media and politics, I cannot even hear a goal of achievong a society where no one gets raped, where no one gets cancer. I only hear vices about cancer treatment. What a pitiable society. Its effects are visible in escalating illness among children. Kids today are dying from a peanut, and people are still not eradicating the web of causes, despite knowledge of how to create healthy people, healthy societies. And the decision-makers still maintain these ecocidal industries at all cost. Ugly.

Youth-LeadeR offers a very, very different attainable vision for young people to unite towards.

In the clamour of confusing voices over „what society we want“, whatever liberties, economic system etc, I have a goal to offer that silences all the noise and confusion.

And that is „Abundance for All.“ „Inner and Outer Abundance.“ Everybody subscribes to this.

Next, people ask “how”, and then we can start talking about thousands of solutions, implemented by ordinary people around the globe.

Is there anyone opposing this? Maybe monarchists or racists? Well, why listen to them in deciding on our common healthy future? Their memes are not congruent with the UN charters signed by all nations anyway, and their mental disposition has been diagnosed as scientific bogus and even as psychoemotionally defunct. Seriously.

The lack of such encompassing vision in tune with everybody's priorities AND solutions for everyone to learn in their local environments has been the downfall, for example, of Arab Springtimers.

So, what vision do we use for education to achieve a healed, sustainable society?

SHARED VISION + GOAL FOR EDUCATION Nurturing people who by the time of leaving school qualify as - Inhabitants and Stewards of a Global, Peaceful, Just, Thriving and Sustainable Civilization And since we now face the challenge of achieving this civilization in the first place, these teenage school leavers also need to qualify as co-creators of a Global, Peaceful, Just, Thriving and Sustainable Civilization If they do not – how could we ever ACHIEVE such a civilization?

By definition, a society or civilization is made up of its citizens.

We can not achieve a society of 0 -2% rape, as long as 20-80% of citizens commit rape.

We cannot achieve a healthy society, as long as adults, usually family members, sexually abuse girls and boys. In the USA, 20% of girls entering high school have been sexually abused. And 10% of boys.

These are numbers by the Girl Scouts of the USA. They are to be taken serious.

We will not achieve a sustainable society of inner and outer abundance, if only 2% live it.

On a side note - inner and outer abundance play quite an important role. The inner void is reason for feeding on women, children, others and nature. It is also a reason for overconsumption, greed, ambition...

I do not want to stray off-topic, here, but indicate just how new and profound the challenge of change, personal transformation and collective ascendance is.

Once again, I emphasize, that the solutions exist, and that I would not be composing these lines for you, if I was not solidly convinced that the solutions exist and can be seeded and nurtured around you also.

But – our only chance is school.

OUR YEARS AT SCHOOL ARE THE ONLY TIME PERIOD TO LEARN OUR IMPORTANT SKILLS IN DEPTH + ON SCALE AS A GENERATION Once human beings are caught up in a 12+ hour day for making a living (college students, workers, stock market brokers, media makers, communters, parents!) and sustaining the basic psychoemotional health they have CLOSE TO ZERO chance to learn and apply the complex literacies of changemaking through tangible action.

This should be logical to the mathematic mind. These are the laws of science.

Our only chance to MAYBE avoid the cataclysm and advance to a sustainable society is to enable the young generation on large scale, 50-90%, to evolve into inhabitants, stewards and co-creators of a peaceful, sustainable, thriving civilization of inner and outer abundance.

Once „humanity“ is out of school, we cannot even reach them with our memes and activity exercises any longer. The only chance where we can reach everybody with these memes, visions, feelings, activities and experience fields is at school, 5 times a week, for up to 12 years. This is a lot of exposure time – if the right changemaking spirit and action are made present and part of their lives.

As a consequence, „Education for Sustainable Development“ is a bit more tricky than many believe.

FROM „SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATION“ TO ACTIVE APPLICATION Achieving sustainability is an active process! It is not an act of „scientific observation“, as most of our science-based education to-date. We become able to understand that something is and sort of how it functions, but we do not learn how to influence and change it for real. If we did, the past fifty years of fact-based information on global crisis, from climate to oceans, poverty to democracy would have brought about a merry global society of abundance.

The problem is that our way of receiving education, and informing ourselves through media, has no sense of personal, individual involvement, activity and manifestation. This may sound fuzzy, but becomes clear when comparing conventional and new „positive change models“.

For example, conventional media report on a problem, but by the end of the article you are not empowered to do anything. Even when reading about people who are reducing gang killings by 70%, or enabling health, water and livelihoods for millions, you don't understand how it works, and how you can get involved – for example by passing on the model solution to a partner city of your school, to farmers organizations, mayors of crime-ridden cities, or making your ministry for development cooperation invest in proper solutions. And, of course, conventional articles at best show a passport-sized photo of someone standing around, looking into the camera. Useless.

Positive change media culture, on the other hand, presents the story, with lush imagery, of people in action, like a vivid minidocumentary, with personal voices, what drives the changemakers, how they started, how it unfolded, the breakthrough, what's next, how people can replicate it, where to find support, and good weblinks for more.

Conventional education tells us about water problems, shows boring photos and a diagram of water cycles. Where are the hero/ines, the action, the solutions and how those solutions can be scaled, everywhere, through - proper people powered water and sanitation projects and adopta-village partnerships - how to transform our water devastating agriculture - how to make water a human right, ban bottled water and keep water public - how to stop land grab - how to make ecocide a crime against peace These are safeguards for ensuring abundance of clean, safe water for times to come.

Detached observance has not achieved anything, and will not achieve anything for transforming the industrial juggernauts of the Dark Age of Unsustainability driven by our „'1eeducated“'1c strata in business and politics, and even a large part of citizens as shareholders and consumers – all in/directly actively involved in facilitating the accelerating destruction, unbearable human suffering, unfolding catastrophy of losing all antibiotic strains by the industrial factory farming industry and so on.

That's why true education for sustainable development has to be „in action“, with „real changemakers“.

I apologize for being repetitive in this book, but it may serve the sake of emphasis and memorization.

The necessary guiding principles have been outlined in paragraphs above, and there’s a few more to add.

SOCIETAL RELEVANCE We love taking action on things that really matter.

And doing something that matters. To us, and to people. „Research Projects“, creating posters about issues and sticking them up at school, no one looking at them, is really frustrating. That's clear.

We can upgrade even research exercises we do in conventional education - by adding a hero/ine - with solutions - with vibrant visuals, photos or video - and instant action opportunity on the subject matter An exciting and satisfying format of presentation can be - exhibits - with a table for encounter and conversation, and - instant fundraising and action opportunities - at school but preferably (since one's own school peers usually react flatly and negligently to their own peers) - in places and at events with an open, thankful audience, such as - at other schools - at events - at farmer markets which adds additional learning dimensions, from organization to presentation and dialogue.

Such activities can be so precious and appreciated (= societal relevance) that media report about them, and other groups ask for the service.

This - is what kids and youth love - makes a change - serves our teacher colleagues and student peers at other schools - can spark follow-up action - can motivate students to expand activities in form of student clubs - can generate cascading activities in our entire city

It is not really difficult.

Just think about 1.) How can I make it more lively? … with a human element (heroes) … with inspiration (dynamic videos) … with instant empowerment for action (like fundraiser, book drive, petition, ...) … with personal bonding (how can inspired people learn more, or get involved?)

The necessary information can be difficult to find, but we offer a lot of help, leads and resources.

2.) How can I organize an interested public? … who appreciates a passionate youth group promoting positive action? … which local partners operate in the same field? … which events relate to the topic?

On the next pages you will meet some teens who have been inspired by school projects to make an effort and contributing to the cause from spreading the newly gained awareness to implementing world class expert solutions and changing policies.

What if kids at every school did this?

What if we designed learning opportunities enabling kids at every school to commit their passion, to see meaning in their efforts?

Wouldn’t this make schools the lighthouses and greenhouses of innovation in their communities - as universities are supposed to be?

Isn’t this the purpose of schooling for active citizenship in a libertarian, democratic, sustainable society - across the school fence?

Meet another bunch of teens doing awesome things that youth can replicate in a thousand places.

REAL LIFE IMPACT „Take action on causes you are passionate about.“ They can be close to home, or abroad, but let's stop just fiddling with numbers.

Students, teachers and schools all over the planet are doing awesome projects.

We all love them.

Schools, students, parents, media, organizations and philanthropic clubs love them.

The students learn incredibly precious things for their personal, idealist and professional path. It is not that difficult. It is a process that unfolds over time, by gradually opening up everybody's skills, talents, ideas and contributions.

These co-creative potentials become possible, WHEN we open up our learning experience to open, casual, colabrative, creative, informal learning processes where people feel at ease to dream up, contribute, negotiate, test and apply their ideas and skills. .

This is what happens in easy-going musical learning environments, by people who share the same passion for music.

This is what can happen in Informal Sustainability Learning Environments, ISLEs, by people inspired for youth leadership and positive change.

It can easily happen with YL student clubs.

An entire school class is more difficult, and we have to be very aware of this.

Why is it more difficult? Because - it is hard to find a shared passion in a group of 30 students - it is hard to feel any passion in a boring, suppressed, teacher-centred school context Even me or powerfully inspirational youth leaders,

we can inspire a group in unusual, once in a lifetime „'1edisruptive experience“'1c, but even for us superhero/ines, it is impossible to sustain this for an entire group in a boring, constrained school context, where attention shifts back to emotionally suppressed subject teaching, personal stories of depression etc.

THIS IS WHY we have put together a comprehensive, VERY SIMPLE approach - for sparking spirit - in the entire group - nurturing shared positive worldview, vision, can-do feeling - agreeing on collective action - dreaming up year-round activities - in partnership with real hero/ines - sustaining presence of youth leadership spirit on global issues in class - equipping teachers and student leaders with media, speakers and services - enabling YL student clubs as excellent role models and assistant teachers … taking very simple steps … taking only a 45 to 120 minute session to get started … taking only 10 minutes a month for Hero/ine of the Month miniexhibits with brief presentations … with 95% of activities in the hands of student clubs … managing Informal Sustainability Learning Environments ISLEs … vividly visually documenting their activities for project success, mobilizing support and media presence, and documenting their activities for building support by teachers, principals, parent clubs, school bards for this learning culture.

The media, speakers, methods and student club community are listed on later pages.

Before we get to them, I just want to complete this theoretic session with two valuiable elements of learning and changemaking: - play and gamification, and - fantasy, imagination and role play.

GAMIFICATION Neurosciences and our personal experience tell us that we learn best through play, for various reasons. This is why gamification is a big trend.

I am not intentionally using gamification for the common purposes of making topics better accessible to young people, but because young people have asked for a credit system for actions taken. And because it enhances their changemaking skills!

Competition, points, awards and gadgets are not in our interest, and not part of genuine changemaking. But – just as Youth-LeadeR is composed of best practices from all sectors of society, it also includes the most beneficial aspects of role play and gaming culture.

Jane McGonigal is a leading game designer well known for her online and onsite games experimenting future scenarios, fictitious and real worlds, have connected gamers with social entrepreneurs from game cons, streets and cemeteries to the World Bank, African villages and classrooms. I highly recommend watching both her TED Talks on gaming for a better world and well-being. Her future scenario games World Without Oil, Superstruct and Urgent Evoke have demonstrated that fantasy roleplaying online gamers come up with the same, complex world-changing solutions as world experts, can generate real world impact, and involve young people in co-creatively addressing global challenges and dreaming up a better world.

TED TALK 1: Gaming can Change the World TED TALK 2: Games for Health and Well-being Urgent Evoke: www.urgentevoke.com Superbetter: www.superbetter.com Website: www.avantgame.com Have you watched her talks, browsed her website? You should.

Jane is not only saying important things, but demonstrating how genius truly comes with fun and being your authentic self.

But beware of thinking oh yeah, it’s all solved and happening. It’s not.

There’s work to do, and it’s up to you to get involved, or nothing will happen, and this all stays edutainment - as the majority of TED Talks.

It’s about real change, so let’s get to work - beyond what Jane shows us.

The limitations in her approach - and this keeps them from having relevant world impact - are that all her games have been limited in time, reach, language, scope of topics, had no real world hero/ines involved, and offered no onsite action tools, media and teaching tools.

I am not saying this to lower the quality of her work. It’s awesome, the world’s finest, otherwise I would not mention it here. The issue is that she hasn’t hasd access to the means to keep this running at the greater scope for all time.

That’s where we have to do better. And I think Youth-LeadeR has all it takes.

In Youth-LeadeR, we build on corner stones of - interaction with humanity's hero/ines of today - replication of grand sustainability solutions - with a rich variety of tools and media - connected with global expert platforms - integrated into education culture - with real world impact - year-round and lifelong - in 19 languages - with unlimited creative liberties - leaving the narrow frame of gaming to interact with society as a whole

I have personally grown up with Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying in the 1980's – the game that set all standards used in role play and online adventure gaming to this day: earning credits for actions taken, ascending levels, earning warrior status and so on. „Change Generation Rising“ is an online community, reality adventure game, youth leadership learning program and student club curriculum all in one. YL Warriors take 3 monthly missions including fundraisers, projects and social experiments. They make real impact and headlines, document their activities, found a clan, meet magicians, join tribes, earn credits for impacts and headlines made, ascend levels for completed quests. An active student club member can ascend one level per month.

This approach has a lot of value for changemaking, also going beyond conventional gamification. It offers a myth, a worldview, a shared vision, fun, imagination, a new sense of self in context to the (apathic) world, a steady flow of activity – like „'sports clubs“' (avoiding laziness when times are tough), a global community of like-hearted youth, meeting grand changemakers at eye-level, joining in taking history-making innovation to scale (no joke).

Warriors document their activities and achievements in their personal Warrior Chronicles – serving as a one of a kind CV for their professional path. No young people have grown up like this, before.

Can you imagine taking 3 actions per month, learning and implementing dozens of sustainability solutions over years? Can you imagine meeting a warrior Level 60 by the time they leave school? Wow. That's like a new species!

This is what I call „inhabitants and co-creators of a global, peaceful, just, thriving and sustainable civilization, equipped with experience and literacies in all sorts of fields, aquired in self-organized informal learning and project activities – besides the conventional curriculum and scholing experience.

Altogether, it is like an informal curriculum. A voluntary curriculum like at „democratic schools“ for those who decide from their heart and passion to learn and do this, like others choose music, a sport, - but this sport is for Griffindores, hobbits and elves of Lothlorien.

This is living Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and our sacred stories for real.

It means nothing less than letting our Inner HeroIne - who stirs and dreams when we read our favourite adventure novels, or adore our sacred divine entities – come alive.

This is precisely what the amazing young hero/ines that you see in our media are doing.

They are living Lord of the Rings for real in face of fracking Mordor, orkish rape culture, tar sands, war plots and bullying. They are living Harry Potter for real, wielding the light magic of creating a better world.

And YL media and methods are golden arrows and magic wands Jane's priority goal is to help millions of young people experience an Epic Win in the real world, in the grand challenge of our lifetime: ending the atrocious suffering of humanity, avoiding planetary destruction, and creating a sustainable civilization.

In YL's Change Generation Rising, we call it „The Liberation of Paradise“.

YL Warriors take 3 monthly missions to implement model solutions, together with real hero/ines of our time

www.youth-leader.org/cgrising

FANTASY, IMAGINATION + ROLE PLAY On this great quest of our lifetime – which we all share – role models play a most important part. And another part our imagination! Our dreams and fantasy!

Here come great, often unexpected news!

The „hero role models“ who help and uplift us in our periods of Transformational Learning need not be real - they can be imaginary!

In fact most are. Hold your seat.

Have you met MLK or Gandhi for real? You only know them from books, a few photos, a 2 minute speech, a simplified image, with a slogan, like a religious icon.

Also historic personalities are only a mental construct in our minds built from a limited set of texts and images.

Have you met Jesus Christ or Buddha for real? Still, they have effect, don't they?

All of them might be inventions. I am NOT questioning their existence and the stories associated with them. My point is that also without our personal, tangible encounter with them these personalities evoke something in us.

The spirit that they represent strikes a certain note on the keyboard of our being.

This is also true for role models from imaginary worlds, like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and so on. The noble knight and hero feelings that - fantasy novels - role playing (computer) games evoke in us are very precious.

Jane McGonigal's research shows that the experience of these feelings is very beneficial to our psycho-emotional well-being and physical health.

Feeling these feelings „inside“ is fine, but the real issue is – to not merely live these wonderful top class feelings and sense of self (the successful hero!) in gameplay to make up for a suboptimal reality (boring, powerless, frustrating, hurtful) that we experience in our daily urban lives, incl of course at school.

I am on the safe side, when I say that people living these „courageus hero aspects“ in real life (like all our YL Speakers) spend very little time with digital gameplay. Not because they dislike or stigmatize it, but just because it does not live up to real adventure on the huge 4dscreen with full-scale sensory resolution, with an option for real love, real death, and – real life.

And the real treasure and challenge of our era is that all of us start living this Inner HeroIne for real in the outer world.

The important lessons for us are that 1.) Role models function through media 2.) Our fantasy hero/Ines have very powerful relevance for our real life … not just for well-being, and for upliftment and confidence for the rest of the day … but for unfolding those most important qualities taking us beyond our limitations … achieving our dearest aspirations for our personal lives … achieving our dearest hopes for bringing about grand changes in the world Note: All these stories have some bugs and wrong messages in them that sabotage our hero/ine from coming alive for real. I have sketched out the bugs in the definition of hero/ines and what hero/ines of today actually DO in order to cocreate Inner and Outer Paradise.

For example, The Matrix is true, but the good real world is not a dark underground cave with slimy broth for meal, but the bright natural gardens, vegan delights and sensual bliss in intentional communities (awesome yoga retreat eco-villages etc).

Lord of the Rings is true, but today's hero actions are not „slash and splatter“ (= entering moments of hell, messing ourselves with stinking orc blood) but bringing paradise vibes.

Also, changemaking is not a „quick ride in, hooray, slash, admire me and bye-bye“, but a) a a listening to the locals and empowering them to be the changemakers and stewards of their future, and - rather a process of seeding and gardening – after all it's about creating Paradise, right? - that's a garden, and it flourishes on water, fire, gentle touch and patience – all synonyms of love.

Do you sense the paradigm change? It's very clear and very obvious in successful changemaker campaigns. If you are curious to find out, explore YL Handbook no.2 Positive Change Media Culture. www.youth-leader.org/library 3.) Hero role models play a key role in education / learning / rising to Be The Change 4.) To unfold our qualities for evoking positive change, as Inhabitants and Co-creators of a sustainable civilization, we need to fill our days with hero/ines. … through social media, tangible media, group work and activities 5.) To deliver, facilitate and achieve 21stCentury Education for Sustainable Development we need to fill our educational learning environments - Schools – with hero/ines … in the form of media, sessions, subject learning, extracurricular activitirs, student club activities, assessments

HERO ROLE MODELS IN YOUTH-LEADER We are not (yet) offering a curriculum for using fantasy novel heroines for this process. In my personal workshops, I am also briefly using well-known figures, and young people respond very well, quickly drawing the right conclusions and revelations about how these archetypal figures relate to their own society, dreams and habits. But it would not have the same effect if anyone else used these items.

What we can offer are 1.) Hero/ines galore •... in all sorts of media formats •... for various users, preferences, ages .• .. for all sorts of settings from homes to play, teaching tools to exhibits and events 2.) Sustainability Solutions – the tools of heroInes (swords etc) 3.) Informal Learning Methods and Environments (magic wands) 4.) A global action community of hero student clubs in the shape of a reality adventure game ... this is where many of our subconscious aspects of our true Inner HeroIne come to play •c when planning, implementing and documenting projects It is important to me that those not so familiar or connected with the European myths of heroes, Harry Potters and fantasy novels know that there are many precious positive elements at work when the popular realms of imagination are positively included as building blocks of our inner ethical compass and mirror.

This is why YL's student club community is called Clans and Tribes.

This is why members are Warriors. Not warriors in a bad sense, but in the ancient sense of the inner hero, the noble knight, and sacred traditions of overcoming the EGO. The truth about warriors is as different from common negative asscociations as the gory war hero is from the ones who we call true heroes in youth leadership and changemaking today.

Young people respond with a smile and eyes zooming to smile and

vision the moment they hear of the concept.

It tells me we are on the right track.

Obviously, it works well for a big part of the young generation on the planet, so please tolerate and appreciate that it is part of YL. One can use YL media, take action and be part of the changemaker community without „playing this myth, credits and levels.

For those who enjoy it, it adds very powerful uplifting aspects. Do not underestimate the power of the smile. Hehe.

By the way, the approaches in YL are aligned with the sacred myth entities of all sorts of ancient traditions – whose imagery and worldviews are congruent with the noble foundations of the UNITED NATIONS, humanism etc, and offer best practice solutions for global issues of inner and outer peace, abundance and upliftment.

It is all about the memesets of creating and living a sacred civilization.

Sacred, like the nightly forest of Lothlorien, Harry's Patronus, and the finest essence in spiritual traditions.

It is all true. It depends on your sensors. The fact that you have not even imagined the thriving world of youth leadership and changemaking despite its widespread presence is a nudge to be humble in assessing what is true or not,and opening up to surprise, miracles and a lot if beautiful things to discover.

The old men and women sitting around the fire in distant places know exactly what Gandalf is doing – when he's not with the group.

I know, too.

Onwards, friends. We have a planet to save.

For the Liberation of Paradise.

You have a set of magic wands in your hands.

Will you spread them to hundreds of youth around you?

Who, if not you? When, if not now?

So let’s get started right now!

Connect with our free newsletters and online media for a constant surf of inspiration on the tidal wave of the world’s changemaking movements. www.youth-leader.org/media/onlinemedia.html Add your voice to vital campaigns led by our young hero/ines.

Nellie: http://bit.ly/1uPNUIe Alicia: http://chn.ge/HnEuzI Rachel: http://chn.ge/1uPTDxD You have seen some of the posters. Find more here, for reading, download and printing for use in class, Spark Sessions and exhibits. www.youth-leader.org/media Get the cardgame for your class! www.youth-leader.org Upgrade your staff room with the YL calendar. www.youth-leader.org/shop View the music and download the musical, for free www.youth-leader.org/music Are you a performing arts and music teacher? Use the music in class, perform with your students, and come up with your own change the world songs. Use our stories for improvisational Hero Theatre performances. 12 stories of 5 minutes will make the most inspirational experience ever! Audiences will be amazed. Combine with a hero exhibit, fundraisers, action opportunities and YL student club activities. Perform the musical. And of course - upload and share your recordings with us!

Spark a YL student club at your school. It starts with a Spark Session! www.youth-leader.org/about/education.html Join us as YL Warrior or a YL Ambassador www.youth-leader.org/you

*EARN YOUR SHIRT*

“Culture is like an iceberg.

It has seen aspects, and unseen aspects.

It is the unseen aspects that give birth to, and influence the seen aspects.�

World Wise Schools of the Peace Corps

Note: The unseen parts of the iceberg make out 6/7 of its size

3 COMMENTS on using YL IN EDUCATION

This booklet contains a lot of things, many of them in the mental realms - but with direct relation and consequence on shaping the tangible world around us.

YOUNG HERO/INES do not necessarily need to read this, but I believe that it can much strengthen their approach, self-understanding, encouragement and empowerment of peers, winning allies among teachers and principals. Even for arguing for and enforcing their right to learning practices enabling them to succeed as active citizens of a sustainable society.,

TEACHERS do not necessarily need to read this, but I believe that it will certainly add to their recognition of their role in this unprecedented era in history, their precious responsibility, their self-understanding, a new understanding of their students with an inborn passion for positive change, the huge untapped potentials in these young people for your subject teaching, and the big picture of a learning culture in tune with your dearest aspirations as a teacher, a citizen and a person.

PARENTS + CITIZENS do not necessarily need to read this, but I believe that it can sharpen their understanding for the shortcomings of schooling that they are sensing intuitively, but do not know how to formulate, nor influence. By understanding the general approach to the purpose of schooling, the limitations of conventional classroom learning with conventional methods by conventional teachers trained in conventional ways and conventional youth not yet qualified for a vibrant learning culture... and the potentials for informally introducing learning spaces and opportunities for the most bright, globally thinking and empathic students - your children - to learn and thrive on the things they care for, without compromising the conventional curriculum and grades... can inspire parents and citizens to pass on this information to teachers and bright youth - and eventually support “Our New Highly Gifted� as a YL Ambassador - with transportation, orientation in the jungle of institutions, media, potential sponsors etc.

ACTIVISTS do not necessarily need to read this, but I believe that - considering the pitifully weak link that we have achieved to build into schools and the young generation over three generations - it can add tremendously to their impact and connectivity into schools to thousands of youth, winning young changemakers to jing their own intiiatives, and see youth thrive on YL’s learning programs ... for broad, durable benefit of society and the planet. As local changemakers, activists, organizations and citizen groups make natural partners for inspired local youth and YL student clubs. But to get the kids and youth inspired, equipped, cultivating a changemaking climate at school and fired up for all sorts of action - including on your priority causes you should learn from YL and use our tools for win-win effects. The times of hijacking kids and teens for one cause, organization - and memmbership fees - only are over and have been part of the problem. This is the time for multidisciplinary young changemakers joining multiple causes and projects for tangible action - not as slave personnel handing out flyers and sitting idle for half a year until the next campaign.

INVESTORS IN YOUTH do not necessarily need to read this, but I believe that they will discover that YL media, methods and student clubs liberate potentials that we have been seeking for decades, but could never unleash - with excellent cost-benefit ratio, and a myriad of tailor-made colaborations from educational media to events, campaigns and programs for schools, topics and regions. Let’s begin with 100 games for 100 classrooms near you - or 1,000 games for 1,000 classrooms for a big city, and then step up our dreams and efforts.

STAKEHOLDERS IN EDUCATIONAL POLICIES do not necessarily need to read this, but I believe that they can learn a whole lot, catch up with the 21st century, lift their heads from day to day administration worries abut budgets, regulations and complaints, readjust their compass and indulge in believing in vision and a chance for relevant, uplifting change by serving the 3 YL-literate teachers at every school - the green one, the social ne and the wild one - and their wild bunch of beautiful changemaker students - with a most amazing learning program and support network, in real-time partnership with the Einsteins of today! This is historic, and candy for school boards. It will be your kids, yur heroes, your work also to have understood the vision of our time and connected it into schools without delay. And without cost, stress, opposition or teacher training. We’ll arrange a nice photo shooting with you after the first season! And if you qualify as a YL Ambassador in spirit - beyond!

Can this be done at my school? YES! Does my school really need this? YES! Are our teachers and students smart enough? YES!

I hear all sorts of “doubts, questions, impossible’s”.

From my point of view, the problem is never the situation or the place, the framework or resources... but teachers’ and students’ lack of wit, passion, vision, ideas and knowledge.

This is not to bash you - since you probably belong to either group but to throw a bucket of fresh spring water in your face and tell you to wake up and start thinking + feeling + responding the right way to “LET’S MAKE THIS HAPPEN AT YOUR SCHOOL, TOO!” “Awesome - how can we do this at my school, where we have, from my perspective, these kinds of potentials, these kinds of hindrances, and probably a bunch of helpful potentials and partners I cannot think of since I don’t have any changemaking experience. Can you give me tips, and even some examples of teachers and students doing awesome things in a context comparable to mine?”

So, I’ll start with simple, concrete steps and ideas to tap into potentials or challenges of schools in specific contexts.

First of all, let’s understand the basics from a pro, the world champ.

Craig Kielburger.

When Craig said we had to liberate children from bonded labour, and adults responded this was impossible, he did not listen to them.

When he said we had to build schools for those children, and adults said this was impossible, he did not listen to them.

He has sparked student clubs active every month in more than 4,000 schools across the nation, set up development partnerships with villages in 40 countries - and unites 150,000 activist teens for celebration with the Dalai Lama, Michail Gorbachev, Mia Farrow, Magic Johnson, and so one - ten and more times a year!

If you haven’t yet - view his two videos in the YL Spark Pack: Craig Kielburger ... and We Day. www.youth-leader.org/spark Then, you understand why him and his brother Marc say: “Banish the words “impossible” and “hopeless” from your vocabulary.”

IT IS POSSIBLE! And that is the first thing to learn: Stop saying “this is not possible at our school”, because it is.

The thing is that you have to upgrade your knowledge, because you have not grown up as a changemaker. That’s ok. But now is the time.

The future of all species depends on the peple who are alive right now. So... pardon me ... I’ll say it with a twist of fun in the words of Kid President: “Stop being boring. Start being awesome.”

http://bit.ly/1qpmfvi www.greenbronxmachine.org

Learning Higher Order Cognitive Skills You may be surprised by YL’s value for learning culture and success at your school. We work with changemakers in every field, education is one of them.

We know how Good Learning happens, - neuroscience has been telling us for 50 years, still only 1% of their knowledge has been integrated into schools.

Awful! Today, even the richtest parents are worrying that their kids will get straight A’s and a “job”. That’s because schools only teach lower order cognitive skills. If you like, you can change it - not from theory and complicated training, but from living examples.

How about enabling your students to easily surf through university, making double magna cum laude degrees, becoming diplomats, managers and scientists - while still volunteering on the side?

This is what Marilyn’s students are doing. Her students were labelled as “retards” by other schools, many of her students are of colour, some so poor that her school had to buy them clothes. Is the Global Unified Curriculum of Wilhelm Schole International replicable? Yes. She introduced her methods at an allfailing ghetto school. After 6 months, the students were years ahead in math, the school was the best in a city of millions, way ahead of rich white schools.

This was in the Seventies, and the documentary won an Emmy. Marilyn is now teaching this approach to teachers and those who want it. I asked her how it can be replicated on scale, in the hands of teachers - and she says it is enough to spend a brief time together, and then add one page (like an “add-on”) to each text book chapter. Done. Are you ready to go beyond 19th Century teaching, and include her simple, adapted Socratic teaching from 2,000 years ago?

At TEKOS school in Russia, ordinary students finish a entire subject (=high school exam level) in just 6 months - by teaching each other. By the time others get a high school degree, they pocket a university degree. All the while bathing in cold streams, fencing, building and administrating their own school.

“Relational Learning” by Kurt Hanks literally takes us into other dimensions.

The simple method has been proven in studies with hundreds of college students.

These videos and methods are collected in Youth-LeadeR’s special publication on GOOD LEARNING CULTURE. BUT - this is NOT ENOUGH. It teaches you to think, brilliantly, but it does not make hero changemakers. YOU NEED to include YL student clubs and ISLEs!

Novel Opportunity for International Partnerships between Schools + Schools + Civil Partners + Young Changemakers through YL In many parts of the world, from Greece to Iran, Egypt to China schools’ colaboration with civil society partners and learning activities for sustainable development have been handicapped by polarized attitudes and hidden goals in the heads and messages of “activists” YL IS DIFFERENT YL media, spirit and activities > are pure, uplifting and beneficial > are non-denominational > are free from hidden agendas and conventional ideology

Like the UN, we know that “a good king can be better than a bad democracy.” that “spirituality” - that which we cannot touch - ideas, feelings, the inner realms - are central to our being, and shape our action and reality. that (re-) Ligion is is about living a sacred life, not for a brief moment on some day, but at all times. As a consequence, raping, hitting, whipping people or animals does not qualify for being done on the altar of the sacred. And therefore - never. This is where the spiritual aligns with the universally agreed charters of the UNITED NATIONS, signed by the governments of the world, thereby binding soft law for all citizens of the world.

YL is not about learning to manifest these values in action - in the form of sustainability solutions creating “inner and outer abundance (paradise) for all.”

“Instead of criticizing reality, create a new model making the old model obsolete.”

R. Buckminster Fuller We do not promote advocacy, demanding change by “the other,” but enable people to come together, explore, decide and implement proven and agreed solutions for the benefit of all. In tune with the diversity of human spirit and culture. The solutions exist. We do not preach them. We show you the ones implementing them. You decide what you wish to happen around you.

This is why YL is a NEW GOOD PARTNER for schools, administration and governments who have been conscious and unpleased with disharmonious, underlying messages and agendas of the past.

Schools in CHINA, IRAN, ARAB COUNTRIES, ISRAEL, GREECE, RELIGIOUS, DEMOCRATIC SCHOOLS ...

You play an incredibly important role in co-creating a sustainable future for all of us. WE NEED YOU to join, share and get involved - for creating in the young generation “abroad” an understanding of YOUR genuine beautiful spirit, skills, deeds and aspirations - for dissolving the abominable constructs of difference, hate, conflict and war manufactured in the media, subconsciously shaping a negative world-vision in the minds of the young generation all over the globe, serving old, harmful, illegal and unsustainable special interest groups.

- like all of us, for solving the challenges in your region We know, that we live in different contexts, sensible like biotopes, and that there can be need for dialogue before and during our interactions for optimal achievement. We are available and competent to do so, and you have access to all our materials online.

Untapped Super Powers of Young People in Schools VIDEO LINK: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_pGP6mOmS8

Genuine spirit Access to large community Access to infrastructure Action Spirit Access to uplifting media coverage Access to support by donors and institutions TIME - to take relevant action, weekly, like in sports clubs - to learn huge changemaker skills over 10 years If adult changemakers had access to this, the world would look very different by now. But they don’t.

If young people and educators had tapped into these powers over the past ten years - as our young hero/ines have ... you will see many examples in this booklet ... the world would look very different by now.

Now is the time to learn to recognize and use the true POWERS inside a SCHOOL COMMUNITY.

Whatever type of school, the first thing to do is a

SPARK SESSION aiming at year-round presence in class and follow-up activities by student clubs There is a booklet dedicated to it.

Basically, we are using the YL cardgame and / or posters and videos of young changemakers to inspire the class, harvest feedback, build on the enthusiasm, build focus on favourite causes, take instant actions and ultimately aim at founding a student club of the handful of youth who have a fire inside for making positive changes.

The ones with newly sparked determination may be the quiet ones, the ones less distracted with ego games for making up for their personal problems.

Further, the Spark Session leads to taking the co-created poster exhibit into the public, incl fundraisers for their favourite causes, using their new knowledge, tools, team spirit, vision, passion and presentation skills for holding sessions for younger peers, and - this is important sustainaing spirit and presence of youth leadership in class with a mini-Exhibit on Hero/ines of the Month, tuned to current UN Days and other occasions. It only takes minutes.

You have all sorts of media, tools, also webcast services to weave into subjects through the school year. UN Days are an exceptionally good opportunity “for something special”, since students, parents and principals usually support it, and these days offer you opportunity to connected with partners in media, civil society and philanthropy supportive of the occasion and cause.

The benefits of uplifted spirit, motivation, awareness and activity are many. Just like Stephen Ritz uplifted spirit through his edible wall program and unfolding Green Machine, rising attendance, grades, changing habits, sparking student participation in extracurricular and weekend activities, ... so does a YL student club. But on even more issues, motivating even more students, passionate about other causes.

Cultivating a changemaking climate at school naturally leads to amplified awareness, liveliness, joy, creativity and community.

All these aspects are known to reduce negative aspects like depression and bullying and amplify positive aspects as fun, respect, colaboration - on a human level and shared interest - also WITH TEACHERS - and enhances positive outcomes like learning culture, skills and grades.

And then - there’s particular PROJECTS that may be specially suited for schools in different contexts.

www.youth-leader.org/education www.youth-leader.org/media www.youth-leader.org/speakers www.youth-leader.org/calendar.html www.youth-leader.org/cgrising

4 IDEAS FOR USING YL in different types of schools

I am using stereotypes, but they are based on requests from teachers in different setting and parts of the world.

Let’s see, if you recognize your school.

TEACHER: “I would like to see these things happen at my school, but I don’t know how to start, since...” “... I work at an inner city school. My students come from challenging backgrounds, coloured, poor families, street violence, practically no awareness about food, environment...”

Detroit, USA “... ours is what one might call an ‘elite school’, with students from wealthy families, ambassadors, academics. Still, awareness is shockingly low, attitudes lofty, and most parents are only interested in grades and careers. I would love to awaken my students to use their priviledge for changing the world.”

London, Great Britain “... we have a vibrant culture of global and service learning at our International School, but since we have supportive parents with business background, I have always felt they could also engage in social entrepreneurship.”

Bangkok, Thailand “... two dozen students are active with service-learning activities, but I would like to also reach the other thousand students.”

Toronto, Canada “... we live in a rural town, where “the world is still in order”. We do not have grave problems, but awareness is low, and, honestly, students are lame and lazy. How can I inspire them and build a connection with a world in need that seems so far away? How and who can we help?”

Fulda, Germany “... we have a broken system and society. Rich and poor are in different schools, districts and have no contact. Awareness on environmental and social issues is low on both ends. How can I motivate people to care? Also, I love your videos but need them in Spanish. Is this possible?”

Buenos Aires, Argentina “Students are good learners, but extracurricular activities used to be very formally organized. The government supports environmental awareness campaigns, and entrepreneurial thinking, but activism is a sensitive issue, and we cannot access youtube. ” Shanghai, China

“... people lack trust in achieving something as citizens. I believe in your stories on positive examples, instead of complaints. Also, do you have texts in Russian language?”

Novosibirsk, Russia “... we have no culture of civil participation. Teaching is based on memorizationonly, students are focussed on test scores only, to make it to university. Also, we struggle with role, gender, cultural and religious issues.”

Cairo, Egypt “... students are full of energy, but school here is still very strict, with no time for extracurricular topics. Also, students do not have access to our school internet.”

Bangalore, Inda “... we simply have no financial resources. Even print-outs are very expensive here. We have no student clubs, but several students volunteer with international organizations in Dakar.”

Dakar, Senegal “... we have to ask the principal and ministry of education for permission before using any civil society media or speakers.”

Thessaloniki, Greece “... we operate under very difficult conditions, many of our students live in a refugee situation.”

Palestine “... we are like on a island, with a narrow scope of action opportunities. There exists a difficult mix of heavy pressure from inherited suffering, ideology and identity. How could we break out of the box?”

Tel Aviv, Israel “... we wish to embrace education sustainable development, volunteering and intercultural dialogue in our teaching, but it is important that issues are aligned with our values.”

Iran ... students have the decision-making power at our democratic school. I am sure they will love it. How can I best introduce it to them?”

Democratic school, USA “... we are homeschoolers. Can we get involved?”

Homeschoolers, USA

“Inner City School” Detroit, USA “... I work at an inner city school. My students come from challenging backgrounds, coloured, poor families, street violence, practically no awareness about food, environment...”

CHARACTERISTICS: no money, no greens, low education of parents, low awareness on food, world, etc., violence, drugs, bullying, crime, gender trouble, low connectivity to media, donors and partners, low motivation, anger First of all, be aware that ONE teacher can change the whole story, step by step, with fun and growth on every step of the journey. Your teachers are Stephen Ritz Green Bronx Machine -- growing our way into a new economy: Stephen Ritz at TEDxManhattan: http://bit.ly/1qpmfvi and Erin Gruwell whose simple method helps heal hurtful youth biographies. If you think you have problems at your school ... her kids had each lost up to 20 friends and family members to gun violence. All of them got their shine and smile back, all got their high school degree, many have studied to become teachers. Her poster is on page 75. Article: http://bit.ly/1uPJxNn, www.freedomwritersfoundation.org Further tips: Start out with Ameena Matthews and The Interrupters. Their poster is on page 72. Read their article, use the video(s) and story for a discussion in class, collect passionate feedback, finally ask students whether they wish their neighbourhood to be violent or peaceful.

Use the Peacemaker posters as teaching tools and exhibit. Have students research a hero/ine and present in class, eventually using their video. Get to know and discuss different dimensions of inner and outer peace, from liberating child soldiers and creating peace zones in civil and gang wars to healing depression and ending teen suicides.

Using the videos and stories of Molly Burke (We Day) and Nick Vujicic build the bridge to intangible violence: bullying. Open space to giving voice to the silent majority: ask the whole class to vote either secretly, or with their hand “who doesn’t want to be bullied? Why not? Who wants bullying to continue to be part of school life? And why?” When yu have a majority, or everybody (incl. the bullies) officially subscribing to a no bullying lifestyle, co-design sanctions with the entire group. They shall come up with the sanctions - and enforce them, together.

Then, do a Spark Session using the full poster exhibit and cardgame of Children & Youth Leaders, seeing what teens can do to change the world, far beyond basics like friendly, humane behaviour.

Watch the Green Bronx Machine video together, explore the website and their awesome facebook stream. Assign months in their timeline to students for research, and then collectively report what they have found, putting together a kaleidoscope of impressions and actions and benefits around Green Bronx Machine. Ask them what they find cool about it, and what benefits it would give their life to be in Stephen’s class and team, and what about starting a GBM at their own school.

If you wish to dig further into healthy urban and rural food abundance, share research and presentation of model solutions from our special publication “Learning with Rachel & Friends”. There are countless solutions for creating healthy food abundance with social and economic benefits for students’ present and professional future.

These have been a few examples of addressing, moderating, healing, uplifting certain topics that use to drag us down at schools in economically, ecologically, culturally and spiritually poor neighbourhoods.

Now let’s look at how to spark and nurture youth leadership awareness and activities on local and global issues at your school.

Erin Gruwell’s and Craig Kielburger’s examples show us how the stories of children in a worse situation than ourselves’ awaken empathy in children of any personal socio-economic or psychoemotional background.

I suggest aiming at developing partnerships with - less priviledged schools to develop a sense of power to help (with Craig, Daniella, Neha, Namaste Nepal) - better priviledged schools to receive empowering support like “Adopt-A-Village” programs for African and Indian communities, but for local underpriviledged schools In order to establish such a partnership, we should define it differently, but the scope of education for sustainable development gives us a broad scope of opportunities.

This can take many forms, such as - joining forces for fundraisers for partner projects abroad.

- colaboration on Green Machines, building edible parks and roofs together.

Then, of course, - solving local issues and causes that students think of This sort of activities can also lead to - vivid, positive media presence - colabration with local civil society - support by donors, foundations and investors Nature is another precious learning environment for your students.

Madison, Olivia and Taylor (swimming with sharks) will certainly get your students’ attention. Avalon (swamps, snakes and frog habitats) is not only good for a laugh, but a huge lot of activities in nature, in the city, and for presenting to children.

“Rich Private School” London, Great Britain “... ours is what one might call an ‘elite school’, with students from wealthy families, ambassadors, academics. Still, awareness is shockingly low, attitudes lofty, and most parents are only interested in grades and careers. I would love to awaken my students to use their priviledge for changing the world.”

CHARACTERISTICS: good education, resources and contacts, potential financial support, international relations, global horizons, arts, articulate, under-challenged, These schools have a lot of untapped potentials.

There are always youth, parents and teachers who are interested in global issues and “positive change” activities.

We only have to find a magic trick for connecting with their priority interests.

Priority interests of private priviledged school students and parents are - global thinking - entrepreneurship - diplomacy - governance - innovation and interaction with - top notch experts - famous people as well as top quality - concrete influence - media presence These things are not easy to offer - unless you have the world’s finest experts, solutions, hero/ines, social entrepreneurs and communication design in your educational portfolio ... and we have all of this.

Elite schools have tremendous resources: for travel + for projects + techn ology and media skills + business relations No matter what students have been doing so far, from MUN, Kaospilots, business projects, arts and sciences... they have not yet set up - Social Entrepreneurship - Social Business ventures - changing the lives of hundreds or thousands of people - made waves in the media - replicating model solutions pioneered by the grand visionary changemakers of our time - visiting them in the field - introducing novel, small-scale development solutions - activated the potentials in their parents’ networks in business, media, science, institutions, administration.

I believe that our entry into “elite schools” is the quality of our status, community and potential student-managed activities.

I do not believe that the full schedule of subjects allows to make changemaking part of daily learning culture, BUT a YL Student Club of five, ten, twenty students fired up about global issues can evoke incredible changes.

And that’s all we need to aim for.

Students at priviledged schools often have excellent conventional skills: articulate speakers + media presence + good-looking + well respected by institutions, media, authorities, which can make them excellent communicators.

To-date, they are only using this for positions in advertizing + media + politics + business + culture + diplomacy + medicine + law ... and they have access to the highest competence strata of conventional learning and career environments... BUT in reality, they only have access to the outdated, unsustainable society, and truly, this is backward and poor in character, skills and competence.

None of the oh so respected people in those environments have any

clue how to create a world or society that brings peace and abundance for all - the TRUE MASTERY of their position and societal purpose for the highest ethical goals of knighthood. Instead, the CEOs in the UN’s Global Compact companies hide behind overclaims, fake data and a recent survey has shown that all big CEOs state they have overestimated their skills to make any changes for sustainability and have no idea what to do. Many even completely ignore the realities of people and planet, lack basic empathy and are trained to think in ways like “In the occurence of riots, how can you turn the media conversation around - from calls for social justice to stronger law enforcement?” This is an approximate quote from an english elite school test.

What a loss of talent, meaning and purpose!

Seriously, these bright minds deserve better than this!

With YL, they can learn, run with and advance humanity’s grand civilizational innovations, such as large scale ecosystem restoration + making ecocide a crime against peace + ending shark finning, illegal whaling, protecting the oceans + ending plastic pollution + banning ivory trade forever + ending land grab + creating food abundance + spreading Eco-Tipping points + Blue Economy solutions + Adopt-aVillage partnerships If a nucleus of students, parents and teachers understands this enormous, exciting potential, they can use their big vision and wings to create enormous ripples through the global networks of private schools, also as speakers at schools, events, conferences and the media - with hundreds of thousands of readers and potential supporters.

Already, young people inheriting fortunes are meeting with changemakers to explore how to use their their priviledge in access to societal influence for good.

“International School” Bangkok, Thailand “... at our International School, we have a vibrant culture of global and service learning, but since we have supportive parents with business background, I have always felt they could also engage in social entrepreneurship.”

CHARACTERISTICS: good infrastructure, vibrant school culture, creative, dynamic students, intercultural competence, well educated, well connected, awareness of the UNITED NATIONS, sustainability, global issues, social injustice, culture of volunteering International schools are an excellent environment for youth leadership!

They have more liberties, more multifaceted learning culture, methods and global awareness than private schools, and they have better access to openminded, change oriented parents, financial resources and potential partners than ordinary state schools. Also, they have access to global networks of International Schools!

What’s needed are high quality role models and media, exciting student club activities and high impact changemaking project opportunities.

For these schools I simply say: Do a Spark Session, run action-oriented exhibits, evolve an ISLE and get lots of people involved in YL student club activities. And tap into the excellent potentials for involving donsors, supportive networks and partners.

“Good School” Toronto, Canada “... two dozen students are active with service-learning activities, but I would like to also reach the other thousand students.”

CHARACTERISTICS: progressive learning culture, open methods, global and social awareness, student clubs, good infrastructure, well connected with parents, civil society, donors, sponsors, media What is a good school?

Well, in our general view, a school that has no supercrisis, has proper learning materials and methods, friendly teachers, active relations with parents, is involved in special activities like UN Days, local volunteering opportunites, and has student clubs. In Canada and parts of the USA, they have Free The Children and Me To We groups with vibrant service-learning activities, of course. This is pretty awesome.

But still, only about 20 to 50 of up to 2,000 students are involved in such activities on a regular basis - this means “fired up and aware enough” to do these megaimportant things for our generation’s future. And we can do more than servicelearning, which usually are bandaids for bad governance, and patches for a broken societal operating system. On top, ordinary schools of today - and this includes the ones we perceive as good and functional, we experience abominable amounts of bullying, heinous food that we wouldn’t feed our pets and teen suicides. Altogether, that’s still really, really bad.

But - at schools with such learning culture, we find fertile soil in students, teachers and principals for going beyond, and unfold the truly transformative powers of youth leadership... which are more like “social entrepreneurship”, evoking systemic changes.

The students, teachers, school community, learning and event culture are totally ready for it. So - set the SPARK Session, and connect first of all with the causes of the awesome YL Speakers in Canada and close to you. They are ready to visit your schools, colaborate in person with YL student clubs etc. You are truly blessed with humanity’s finest young heroes near you!!! Build onto this!

“Country Town” Fulda, Germany “... we live in a rural town, where “the world is still in order”. We do not have grave problems, but awareness is low, and students are lame and lazy. How can I inspire them, build a connection with a world in need that seems so far away? How and who can we help?”

CHARACTERISTICS: the world is okay but boring, under-challenged, lack of excitement, responsibility and influence, untapped fundraising potentials, access to nature These schools have a lot of untapped potentials. There are always youth, parents and teachers who are interested in global issues and “positive change” activities, once they have tasted the spirit of change.

It is important, though, to sustain the spirit, take action, document them, get media coverage and speak at other schools to make the experience of inspiring young people.

You have a head start for making remarkable headlines in towns and cities, since no or few extraordinary youth leaders have made waves so far. This is your chance for considerable media presence, photos with the mayor, with good imagery, inviting the public to get involved, and offering to speak at schools.

Namaste Nepal is a perfect example. A handful of students have set up a student company and development partnership with a village in Nepal, and evoked tremendous changes mobilizing support across the entire town. People love it - it is their one and favourite opportunity for doing good with a high fun factor, and exciting results. Page 98.

Most youth-led projects in YL can be replicated by ordinary students in all sorts of places. The point is to make the most of it, with passion, personal encounter and vivid media work.

“Latin American Capital” Buenos Aires, Argentina “... we have a broken system and society. Rich and poor are in different schools, districts and have no contact. Awareness on environmental and social issues is low on both ends. How can I motivate people to care? Also, I need videos in spanish.”

POOR SCHOOL CHARACTERISTICS: Basic equipment, conventional methods, staff willing to nurture environmental awareness, time for special activities, lack of quality materials and partners for self-organized learning and action RICH SCHOOL CHARACTERISTICS: Quality equipment, conventional methods, elitist thinking, little student club activity, lack of solidarity, resources for digital work, printing etc, access to local and regional societal stakeholders, I think for both kinds of school, YL is a magical solution.

At a poorer school, the Spark Sessions inspires a sense of empowerment, and for all sorts of issues. The media and Action Packs offer super precious medis and teaching tools for educators for free, or for self-printing. Our online media, and student club support program enable high quality self-organized activities with an impact that require only minimal support from teachers.

The rich schools experience a wake-up on global issues, youth power, and conscientious students will be bored and discontent with sticking to theory and conventional career learning only.

A YL student club offers them tremendous opportunity to connect with the great wide world in meaningful ways, open doors for volunteering abroad and 21st century careers. Both benefit from interacting with “real expert” platforms, for example on habitat conservation, restoration and species protection.

Another extremely interesting opportunity is adapting Free The Children’s “Adopt-a-Village” program to rural and urban partnerships between rich, poor, rural and indigenous community schools. This can mix fundraisers, online meetings, field visits, exchanges, overnight stays, and implementation of novel small scale development solutions around water, energy, food and alternative incomes. The short distance between schools, common national framework and potential media presence open an incredible lot of opportunity.

Our main hero/ine stories are available in Spanish, online, but also as posters for printing, as cardgames, and as transcribed and subtitled videos.

“State School” Shanghai, China “Students are good learners, but extracurricular activities used to be very formally organized. The government supports environmental awareness campaigns, and entrepreneurial thinking, but activism is a sensitive issue, and we cannot access youtube. ” CHARACTERISTICS: well-equipped, disciplined, basic awareness on socioeco-cultural issues, business awareness, basic awareness on sustainable development challenges, few self-organized activities, no fundraising culture, no development partnerships, no campaigning culture Our media and methods are well suited for use in Chinese schools, since they do not carry a hidden ideology, nor is our work driven by a hidden agenda, but looks at broad spirit and knowledge transfer for people-powered sustainability innovation that will ease the strain on the environment and population. YL student clubs can nurture this with little stress on the standard curriculum.

YL is designed for harvesting and vividly showing positive change spirit, activities and solutions - and students engaging in these activities will acquire these skills for the benefit of knowledge transfer in chinese society.

The Chinese spirit of service, the culture of thinking big, of mass hands-on colaboration on common vision, and centralized communication can be aligned with sustainability solutions for great beneficial effect.

Also, we are very much looking forward to the unique opportunity of showing a realistic positive image of the chinese young generation to the world, including the exceptional steps for advancing renewable energies and large-scale sustainability initiaitives, and build colaborative bridges between student clubs enaging in changemaking activities.

Our main hero/ine stories are available in 19 languages, including Chinese, online, but also as posters for printing, as cardgames, and as transcribed and subtitled videos - on a chinese platform.

We are very interested to establish close communication, colaboration and explore special needs and territory with chinese education authorities, to build trust, share resources, define priorities and eventually partner on large scale.

“State School” Novosibirsk, Russia “... people lack trust in achieving something as citizens.

I believe in your stories on positive examples, instead of complaints. Also, do you have texts in Russian language?”

CHARACTERISTICS: well-equipped, disciplined, well scientifically educated, basic awareness on environmental issues, few self-organized activities, volunteering culture, no fundraising culture, no international partnerships, no development or community projects, very basic campaigning culture Russia has an excellent scientific culture and hands-on attitude to build on.

Russia also has challenges in terms of thriving, regional basic needs economies and vibrant international culture, activity, creativity and vision so that the dynamics in the young generation find sound expression in ways that forge both their personal path, professional path and the collective step forward, upward of society.

The spirit of youth, changemaking and complex innovation can interlink very well with the mindset and societal needs for concrete steps with tangible results.

I consider the opportunity for positive intercultural communication of outstanding, fine spirit, action, model solutions and interaction by both teenagers and adults as an extremely precious opportunity for our global future.

Russia has extremely rich culture, resources and potentials. I believe that the YL experience can do a lot for re-discovering these and unfolding them with the novel spirit of youth leadership, complex intersectorial thinking and action.

YL offers a successful model of civil society that shifts beyond criticism to sound action, which I consider to be very good for the Russian context - and for building important international partnerships with school around the planet, for building our shared culture of peace and putting Russian youth’s extraordinary skills into action.

“State School” Cairo, Egypt “... we have no culture of civil participation. Teaching is based on memorization only, students are focussed on test scores only, to make it to university. Also, we struggle with role, gender, cultural and religious issues.”

CHARACTERISTICS: basic equipment, internet literate, frontal, conventional methods, testscore- and narrow career-oriented learning culture, no selforganized project-oriented learning, awareness of social injustice, national development awareness, low awareness of sustainability solutions and citizendriven projects, no relevant youth-driven projects, gender issues This can be hard turf. YL can soften it, and grow flowers: - Our Children & Youth Leaders collection conveys the spirit of youth power.

- Our Adult Changemakers collection conveys a sense that sustainability solutions can be aligned with professional careers.

- Our Girls & Women collection instantly deconstructs any negative constructs.

- Long-term Poster Exhibits, tuned to current UN Days, gently shape holistic worldview on all these matters and cultivate a changemaking climate.

Presence of these materials and support for student clubs or self-organized youth clubs (after school) empower and equip those young people sharing priorities for positive change ... they exist everwhere, and so do teachers... to learn, evolve their skills, bring innovation and be role models to their peers.

The lack of well visible young changemakers in the “arab world” (whatever this is, but you know what I mean) is motivation to start implementing projects and making headlines. Youth CAN research, connect and make better visible the social entrepreneurs (www.ashoka.org), peacemakers (justvision.org) and young thinkers (TEDx) in their region. Changemakers, as well as YL, focus on solutions, not ideology. This makes YL a great partner. I can imagine fantastic potential for adapting Free The Children’s “Adopt-a-Village” model to partner with poor districts, for “uplifting Iraq” (building on shared language and culture), and for building important international positive action partnerships with schools worldaround. A Green Bronx Machine is a must and definitely possible to finance! Further, Will Allen’s Growing Power urban farms, and vertical backyard farming tuned to the typical agriculture have effect on urban food abundance for a poor population. The intergenerational presence in public and media nurture a sense for civil society beyond complaining. Tangible success sparks curiosity for “what other solutions exist?”

“Poor School” Bangalore, India “... students are full of energy, but school here is still very strict, with no time for extracurricular topics. Also, students do not have access to our school internet.”

CHARACTERISTICS: very basic equipment, frontal teaching, narrow curriculum, gender issues, a culture of public protest, but little experience with people-powered innovation, low media competence, limited access to internet and media production for students, no activist student clubs, interest in social issues, development, overcoming gender inequality, violence, poverty, strong culture of volunteering among school and university students A tricky but fertile combination.

- Awareness on social and environmental issues is widespread, politically correct, wanted, and visible in daily life.

- The wish for change generally exists, but there is a lack of knowledge, empowerment, organization and communication.

- At school exists a lack of open learning methods for creative thinking, student-centered and project-oriented learning.

As usual, I believe that online- and onsite-accessible YL media can make a difference. You can view videos once on a teacher’s computer, and then use posters and ISLEs - India has a rich culture of wall displays. If youth and teachers find space and time for presence of these media, and establishment of student clubs or at least facilitating a bridge to youth-led action as youth organizations using YL’s online and social media ... a lot of activities can happen... while the presence at school serves as social glue and encouragement.

I would definitely explore potentials for an adapted Green Bronx Machine, Will Allen’s Growing Power urban farms, and vertical farming in the city, since food and basic needs are vital for a large part of the population, street children etc. I would also think on local problems to tackle and encouraging a rich school to join as project partner.

“Poor School” Dakar, Senegal “... we simply have no financial resources. Even print-outs are very expensive here. We have no student clubs, but several students volunteer with international organizations in Dakar.”

CHARACTERISTICS: basic equipment, strong social media culture, computer access limited to internet cafes or homes, awareness of development problems, highly communicative and colaborative culture, high sense of community, culture and arts performance, usually good gender relations, presence of values, casual religion, high personal drive for economic advancement, conventional frontal teaching methods, lack of access to partners and rocking, uplifting solutions, culture of protest, little experience of people-powered innovation, universal presence of PASSION, lack of financial resources What an incredible challenge.

What an incredible playground of things to improve What an incredible motivation for creating something new!

What an incredible potential for being a partner for a school in Europe!

Holistic information and deconstruction of myths about life in Europe and the USA are important for shaping new vision for re-Dreaming Senegal.

This is another must for Green Machines, Growing Power and more for the entire district. Further instant issues include electricity, solar and wind power all available from as little as junk or a few hundred dollars.

Engagement with such projects opens excellent opportunity for dynamic partnerships with schools in Western Europe, the US and Canada, where education for sustainable development, global learning and school partnerships are widespread. Exciting partnerships with tangible impact, vivid documentation and progress are RARE to find. Active schools can tap into this niche.

YL offers a lot of role models, micro-solutions, examples of positive change media culture, informal learning and self-organized youth action, and potential partnerships with schools and global expert networks to enable new projectoriented learning culture based on a vision of socio-economic advancement.

“State School” Thessaloniki, Greece “... we have to ask the principal and ministry of education for permission before using any civil society media or speakers.”

CHARACTERISTICS: basic infrastructure, no crisis situation, average awareness on social and environmental issues, conventional learning methods, culture of protest, but not of people-powered innovation, no youth leadership, distrust of external partners (also due to a politically polarized society that only recently outgrew dictatorship), little international connectivity, abundance of nature and healthy small farmer agriculture, sense and culture of community and tradition Similar to the “country school”, the world is more okay and slower than dynamic urban regions - but Greece now has a strong sense of unrest and crisis - but no vision for youth-, people-, entrepreneur- or state-driven tangible solutions.

News of decades and on-going high level corruption uncovered by courts of justice, and an escalating sell-out of the country - earlier by the state elite, now also by international financial groups - is a growing reason for the young generation’s frustration and unrest.

These are very important times for providing hero role models, access to thousands of sustainability solutions and global support networks to the young generation - to provide vision and guide their energy into constructive channels.

Youth-LeadeR is an excellent partner - without political affiliation - with the most shining young role models - with access to quality networks of social entrepreneurship - enabling youth-led project development, tuned to regional needs, and interwoven with local partners Greece is also in an excellent position for school partnerships, especially with Western and Northern European countries - for discussing the evolving socioeconomic situation and possibly exploration of creative steps. Last not least, Greece is a fantastic tourism destination, and has a lot of eco-cultural and economic potentials, also in the field of organic agriculture and direct sales to neighbouring countries

“Refugee Camp” Palestine “... we operate under very difficult conditions, many of our students live in a refugee situation.”

CHARACTERISTICS: minimal infrastructure, conventional methods, poor educational media, little access to technology, little connectivity to international partners, polarized society, cultural and gender issues, basic needs, heavy stress through violence and military intervention, broken families, dead and incarcerated relatives, anger, myth and confusion about identity, personal and societal futures Very tough, yet some young hero/ines have succeeded in worse conditions and kept their shine. Spirit is the most important.

There is great awareness about the challenging issues in Europe, North America and beyond - with great potential for school partnerships - especially if a solid group is engaged in sustainability projects.

I much encourage exploring the hero/ines leading model solutions for - violence reduction - inner peace and healing - community-buildng - for basic needs: ... Green Bronx Machine ... Growing Power ... energy, water, food security and abundance All these projects have great relevance and potential for replication also in priviledged schools and regions.

I recommend to ALL people in the world, and especially young people in Palestine, Israel and their partner schools to upgrade their worldview with - Uri Avnery’s ebook “Truth against Truth” (free multi-lingual download) - the story and film of Budrus, the TED Talk of Julia Bacha - hundreds of peacemakers from Palestine and Israel at www.justvision.org - getting in touch with local members of Combatants for Peace (former combatants of either side, whose worldview radically changed by human encounters with the enemy, and have since engaged in peacemaking) - Johan Galtungs’s work on Peace Journalism and his ideas for a peace process - Ronny Edry’s Israel Loves Iran TED Talk and facebook campaign

“State School” Tel Aviv, Israel “... we are like on a island, with a narrow scope of action opportunities. There exists a difficult mix of heavy pressure from inherited suffering, ideology and identity. How could we break out of the box?”

CHARACTERISTICS: well equipped, good conventional education, science and communication skills, strong sense of national and international issues, public memeset coined with militarism, fear, racism, ideology, myth, insecurity, strong culture of ethical values, globally minded and media literate young generation, excellent resources for high end sustainability solutions In this complicated situation, spirit is everything.

The reach and value for world change of highly skilled and respected Israeli youth lies far beyond the borders of the country they live in. By connecting with the tidal wave of sustainability solutions, including social business, Eco-tipping points, Blue Economy and making ecocide a crime, they can spread sustainability memes and action through influential networks in the educated and decisionmaking strata all over the planet - well in tune with the aspirations and cultural identities of Israelis (of all faiths), Jews and whatever identity people hold.

Equipped with the spirit, networks and solutions accessible via YL, young Israelis can unfold cascading changes in- and outside schools - since they have access to excellent technological, communication and financial resources. This does not mean “riches” - but in the entire region, the access to infrastructure and donors typical of average urban, industrial nations as the EU is a treasure.

Further, I recommend to ALL people in the world, and especially young people in Palestine, Israel and their partner schools to upgrade their worldview with the specially mentioned resources on the preceding page.

Israel has a very powerful young generation and extremely good potentials, if the hurtful mental constructs and psycho-emotional heavyweight traumata and unsustainable policies inherited (and still imposed) by older generations are recognized as not belonging to new born babies, gently evolved and shed, for a new start of open people to people dialogue and discovery in the region AND connecting with creative peacemakers and changemaker networks fit for the peaceful, thriving 22nd century sustainable civilization we all want to live.

“Religious School” lran “... we wish to embrace education sustainable development and volunteering in our teaching, but it is important that issues are aligned with our values.”

CHARACTERISTICS: basic equipment, computer rooms and internet literacy, sense of service, ethics and community, conventional teaching, group activities, need for basic needs, few international partnerships, need for neutral, trustworthy value-centred resources and activities for peace, sustainability and international colaboration Youth-LeadeR is omnicultural and congruent with universal values, the Golden Rule and the essence of spiritual traditions. We have profound knowledge and of sacred practice - respecting human beings as made in the infinity complexity and purity of God, each on their personal path of walking and identifying the path of aligning with the One; a goal not achieved through talk, garment or pigment colour, but through service in tune with the sacred laws of life.

All our content is oriented at learning to live in non-harming harmony with divine creation, humbly accepting that we are yet to learn to live this in perfection, since we have not yet achieved to live collectively uplifting togetherness in our past history. However, the collective divine genius in humanity has now practically unveiled the solutions for living in thriving community, in harmony, learning and upliftment - without “feeding” on other human beings, relative lifeforms, or polluting God’s creation for our mere physical existence - so that at last we can embody our spiritual wisdom in a lifestyle corresponding with the core teachings and value systems. We recognize this noble spirit manifested in the words and deeds of the youth leaders and adult changemakers portrayed in Youth-LeadeR. This is where spirit and novel, transformational work for inner and outer peace, and inner and outer abundance align, in a celebration of human spirit, in accordance with the magnificent, sacred feminine and masculine expression of the divine.

After all, as God’s children(!), we are not meant to be afraid, insecure, fragile, destructive, violent, exploitative or corrupt. Why have you come to this planet at this special time?

This said, we love working with schools of all religious faiths and traditions born from God’s eternal diversity speaking a shared language of care and action.

“Democratic School” USA “... students have the decision-making power at our democratic school. How can I best introduce it to them?”

CHARACTERISTICS: well equipped, internet and computer, global, cultural and environmental awareness, conscientious parents, basic financial resources, access to nature, dialogue culture, alternative worldview, students have a strong voice in deciding on topics and activities, high potential for self-organized activities like student clubs Democratic schools aim to give young people the space for following their personal interests and unfolding their personal talents. I suggest to ask “Learning how and what we like, or learning for what we care for?” So what about the oceans, forests, climate, poverty? So far, democratic schools that I know do not significantly display the spirit of changemakers in action. The crux is: They can only choose to learn about things that they know. But their worldview, learning opportunities, tools and contacts are limited to what their parents and media can offer them. And those are not changemaker hero/ines galore.

Recent IDECs have had excellent changemakers as speakers, including stellar changemakers featured in YL: Shilpa of YES! and Xiuhtezcatl, and they were celebrated for their contributions - but I have not noticed any ripples of wrldchanging action from democratic schools since, nor appearance on Xiuh’s Earth Guardians facebook pages. It takes more than *talk*. It requires making hero/ines present in daily life, long-term.

As usual - it starts with a Spark Session. The abundance of media, action packs, speakers, student club support, monthly UN Day action, students can evolve learning careers unlike any others! They can manage the most awesome ISLEs, build on the awareness and capitals of their rather aware families, and become messengers, speakers and mentors for state school students in their region.

A democratic school whose students and educators have truly different levels of worldview, empathy, and priorities from the mainstream population, - being the change, healing and transforming the broken society - democratic schools have all it takes to be the greenhouses of the future, and become shining models for countless state school communities they share their priviledged skills and methods with.

“Homeschoolers” USA “... we are homeschoolers. Can we get involved?”

CHARACTERISTICS: aware, critical, caring, conscientious, selforganized, more or less connected with like-minded students and families, some very dynamic, others fragile, access to time and mobility, Just like students of democratic schools, homeschoolers have extraordinary opportunity. It all depends on the individual situation.

Several remarkable young changemakers featured in Youth-LeadeR are homeschoolers.

They work alone, with adults, with fellow youth, with schools, youth organizations and summer camps.

Access to community of like-hearted activist youth makes learning and action easier, but also teens who do not operate with a group can benefit tremendously from YL media, heroes, solutions and activities.

You have a most precious capital - TIME. Like a YL Ambassador, you can familiarize yourself with all the hero/ines in YL, use their media and campaigns, use our 50 piece poster set for exhibits. You can present to kindergartens and elementary schools in the morning, when your generation is constrained to attend class spread knowledge, spirit, mobilize groups and build a community across schools of your region, sparking support for dozens of YL hero causes.

Homeschoolers can explore, document, report and support endangered species in their region (like Avalon), and create informational videos on yukky ingredients in foods (like Coral). Both are homeschoolers!

YL therefore gives you extraordinary causes, learning m,aterials, projects, a relevant global platform for displaying your work, and even interacting with thousands of kids at ordinary schools! That’s precious!

The required assets are a passion for change, solid knowledge of model solutions, handling media, and interacting with us “live”, online.

WE ARE RISING ARE YOU JOINING?