Wing of Change – Education through the power of small things
School is more than just a curriculum. Or at least it should be.
School is more than just a curriculum. Or at least it should be.
One in four children feels unengaged with what happens at school. And how could it be otherwise? Until 18, they have no choice, and then they have to make all the decisions in the world. Rarely does school provide space for every child to have their voice heard.
But things don’t have to stay that way. When we sigh in pain and shake our heads in denial, thinking about how some things fundamentally need to change, we can pause for a minute and think: what if we celebrated the small successes?
Donate and support the courage behind small steps.
Sometimes, change doesn’t need to be huge. You don’t have to move mountains; it’s enough to start with a bench arranged in the schoolyard. And then, it’s imperative to share the joy with those around us.
Because it’s possible. In a school in Prahova where we work, 31 students didn’t let their teacher give up, even though the obstacle they had to face was too great.
Teachers inspired by their students, like Anca, have seen the difference that student involvement can make. After a process where they analyzed their world and asked themselves, “What problems affect me at school every day?”, the students built the Friendship Bench, a place where they could reconcile after arguments and enjoy playing together.
If they can do it, we can support them!
Anca’s class is one of the twenty we work with to create a model of well-being in the classroom, demonstrating how to do things differently and create an environment in school that encourages children to be attentive, involved, take initiative, and have the courage to act and solve problems.
We can’t change a system overnight, but we can start today to celebrate the courage of small steps.
With 10,000 euros, we can support 500 children in Romania to find small solutions to their big problems.
We will use the money to train and mentor 24 teachers in the International Design for Change Methodology, a tool that puts children at the center of action, challenging them to feel, imagine, act, and share joy with others.
In the end, the innovative, courageous, and enthusiastic change will be celebrated at the International Design for Change Conference in Dubai, where a group of students, along with teachers, will present their results in front of over 70 countries.
