Ashoka Changemakers

2018-10-24T09:54:49+01:00September 29th, 2018|

Ashoka Changemakers is a global organizations that builds and cultivates a community of change leaders. Members collaborate to transform institutions and cultures worldwide for the good of society. UWC RCN was selected last year as an Ashoka Changemaker School, and 19-20 September students Liva, Sara, Jordanella and Sona accompanied by Judit Dudas, Sustainability Team Leader, participated in the yearly seminar of Norwegian Changemaker Schools in Drammen. At the two-day seminar they met with students and educators from Nordahl Grieg High School and Drammen Young Invest to work on their common vision about the future of education. On the second day the schools had the opportunity to present and discuss their visions with entrepreneurs investing in education and Ashoka Fellows.

Changing our surroundings starts with change from within. People that in some ways are connected with the education system in Scandinavia were invited to take part in the discussion about how to improve our education. Participants got to practice empathy, leadership, creativity, teamwork and thoughtfulness, which Ashoka calls the changemaker skills. In the groupwork participants had to complete a task working together and listening to each other’s aspirations to identify strengths and explore the common goals. Central in the work was the Appreciative Inquiry (Al) business process, with components like Definition, Dream, Design and Realization. Two inspiring and motivating days with thought provoking discussions with a diverse group of like-minded people in the network.

Introducing the Glocal Challenge

2018-10-16T09:31:14+01:00September 25th, 2018|

Fifteen of our students and educators have started a journey of change, with the help of Karen O`Brien and her team at cCHANGE. To start of it all, Karen gave our yearly Environmental Thor Heyerdahl Lecture about climate change: “You matter more than you think!”

The Flekke GLOCAL CHALLENGE is an effective and fun way aimed at creating transformation towards sustainability in a 30-day programme. The participants are encouraged to experiment with one sustainability-related change for 30-days. During that time, they receive information and insights into change. They reflect on and share their experience, with encouragement to question their own habits, beliefs and assumptions with questions like “why?”, “how?”, “what if?” These shared stories will be examples of how you can create change. The focus is GLOCAL? Small personal, local actions can contribute to global impacts.

Please follow us here !

Glacier Seminar – Natur og Ungdom

2018-10-16T09:31:14+01:00September 25th, 2018|

As members of the Natur og Ungdom (Nature and Youth) organization we have the amazing opportunity to join multiple seminars and events every year. This seminar was about glaciers as climate indicators. Ironically, due to extreme weather, we were strongly advised not to come even near to the glacier. Large landslides and storms came in the following days, so it definitely was a wise choice. Even though, or maybe because of the fact that no one in this organization is older than twenty-five, we were able to adapt just fine. Instead, we spent a longer time in the glacier museum with interactive learning. We calculated our carbon footprint and discussed multiple factors of influence. In the evening and afternoon we did some small hikes and cycling.

The following day we went on a tour with a mini-van in the pouring rain. The Norwegian spirits is to not be bothered at all by the weather; so after spotting some birds, we went for a lovely hike. While we were dancing the banana dance in the rain, surrounded by mountains, rivers and clouds I touched upon the feeling of friluftsliv (outdoor life) again. Earlier that weekend I already experienced a magical moment where everyone had dropped quiet and we listened to a waterfall for twenty minutes. Still I cannot conclude without mentioning the wonderful group of participants. Even though I was the only one who did not speak Norwegian, they tried to adapt as much as possible, and we became surprisingly close. Many personal environmental change stories and group hugs further on, we all had to take our polluting busses back home where the environmental spirit keeps on living.

Nynke (RCN ’17-’19)

UWC Day – Inspire Change

2018-10-16T09:31:15+01:00September 21st, 2018|

A day to celebrate on and off campus. We started the day listening to Board member Ivar Lund-Mathiesen on how the College came to be founded – a story of a few passionate people working hard for many years to make a dream come true.  Ivar quoted the anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

 

Copyright 2019 UWC Red Cross Nordic | All Rights Reserved |
Go to Top