Today, as I was driving back from the NextGen Teachers Bootcamp, organized by DEAN Initiative, La lección más grande del mundo, y Brújula Educación for Systems Thinking, I felt a deep sense of fulfillment. The Bootcamp gathered a group of passionate teachers from Lagos State. I was truly impressed by the delivery of systems thinking tools by one of the facilitators from the DEAN Initiative.
I arrived just as the concept of systems thinking was being introduced to the participants. After being introduced to the group, I briefly shared my background and answered a few questions from curious teachers, explaining my connection to Lagos despite living in Germany. This seemed to resonate with many of them.
During my introduction, I was acknowledged as a contributor to the development of the NextGen Teachers Bootcamp Toolkit. I confirmed my role as a Compass Education for Systems Thinking facilitator, explaining that I had been part of the team that developed ways to integrate systems thinking tools into the classroom. This sparked excitement among the participants, and many expressed a desire to work with me directly.
I spent time moving from group to group, listening carefully to their ideas about how to use the Compass Tool for Sustainability. After hearing their thoughts, I offered suggestions on how to align their ideas with the four Compass Points: Nature, Economy, Society, and Well-being. The teachers were highly engaged, having thoughtful, deep discussions that were rooted in their personal experiences as educators and as members of the local community.
Some of the stories I heard were both touching and disheartening, but the groups effectively channelled these shared challenges into meaningful discussions within the Compass activity framework. I was deeply moved by the passion and insight the teachers brought to the table, and it reinforced the purpose I felt in this work.
This experience was everything I had hoped for when I joined Compass Education. It felt purposeful, fulfilling, and aligned with the mission I have set for myself. I often remind myself of my mantra: I have a purpose on this planet, and may I have the skills, strength, confidence, and life energy to fulfill it. Today, I feel all those elements come together, and I owe much of that to the guidance and support from Compass Education, and especially Gitanjali.
As I reflect, I feel immense gratitude for this opportunity and look forward to tomorrow’s session, where we will focus on linking systems thinking to actionable steps. I am optimistic about the positive outcomes and the continued impact of this work.








Author

Ibironke Bearzi
Ronke es un educador internacional que ha enseñado en cuatro de los siete continentes. Esto podrÃa atribuirse a su pasión por experimentar diferentes culturas, probar nuevos alimentos y perderse en la belleza de la naturaleza. Ronke está en su 23.º año de enseñanza, desarrollada y enriquecida en colegios del IB en Vietnam, el Reino Unido, Alemania, Polonia, Estados Unidos, Togo, Mauritania y Francia. Participa activamente en la obtención y difusión de conocimientos y habilidades para las mejores prácticas en sostenibilidad y aprendizaje de servicio, busca oportunidades para traducir las intenciones en acción con la esperanza de marcar una diferencia impactante: un agente de cambio. Ronke tiene dos tÃtulos de licenciatura, uno en MicrobiologÃa, el otro en BiologÃa Celular, Molecular y FisiologÃa, un certificado de enseñanza y una MaestrÃa en Educación. Originaria de Lagos, Nigeria, Ronke es francesa y prefiere presentarse como ciudadana global.