Exploring Futures in Schools for Children and Adolescents: Unleashing the Power of Futures Thinking
The presentation aims to shed light on the significance of integrating futures studies into the educational curriculum for children and adolescents. By engaging young minds in exploring the concept of future and encouraging futures thinking, we can equip them with essential skills and tools necessary for navigating the complexities of an ever-changing world.
The introduction delves into the intriguing concept children´s innate futures thinking potential, emphasizing how they possess the ability to project themselves into the future and envision various possibilities. It also underlines the importance of futures tools, by using the Houston Framework as an effective means to develop and nurture futures thinking skills among the youths and to promote creativity and collaboration in the classroom.
Some findings will be explored not only to demonstrate the potential of futures studies but also serve as an inspiration for educators and policymakers worldwide. We will also present first adaptations for young people of the Futures Consciousness Scale indicators developed by the University of Turku, Finland.
From experiences conducted by the Teach the future movement in Brazil as well as in other parts of the world, the involvement of teachers and parents in the learning experiences is a pivotal factor in the success of futures literacy in primary and secondary schools.
Faced by radical uncertainty of these liminal times, futures literacy integrated into the primary education ecosystems can transform fear into enchantment and help strengthen human agency towards the creation of preferred futures.