15 November 2025
TEDxChiangMai 2025, hosted by CMU Uniserv and attended by more than 350 participants, was one of this year’s official TED Countdown Anchor Events aligned with COP30 in Belém, Brazil. As part of TED’s global initiative to accelerate climate solutions, the event encouraged participants not only to listen but also to learn, experiment, and take action.
Among the eight hands-on breakout sessions, Compass Education collaborators Robert Steele and Watkana Thongrueng of Systainability Asia facilitated an interactive workshop using the Sustainability Compass—one of Compass Education’s signature tools for applying systems thinking to sustainability challenges. The session quickly became a participant favourite, especially for those seeking practical and accessible strategies to understand and respond to climate issues from a whole-system perspective.
A Dynamic, Hands-On Exploration of Climate Change
Twenty-one participants from international NGOs, schools, creative sectors, and university-based SDG and climate action clubs joined the workshop. Many later described the experience as fun, energizing, and deeply insightful.
The session began with a Sustainability Compass-inspired icebreaker, inviting participants to move through the four Compass points—Nature, Economy, Society, and Wellbeing—to reflect on how climate change affects their lives from each lens.
Participants then formed small groups, each assigned a Compass point, and collaboratively mapped climate impacts and contributing factors from their specific perspective. Within minutes, colourful strands of yarn stretched across the room as participants connected their ideas, forming a vivid visual web that brought systems thinking to life.
The takeaway became clear: climate change is a whole-system challenge, and actions in one part of the system influence the rest. The Brújula de sostenibilidad activity helped participants see these relationships more clearly and encouraged them to think systemically about climate solutions moving forward—an essential skill Compass Education aims to nurture worldwide.
The Triangle Game: Systems Thinking in Motion
Next, participants explored interconnectedness through the Triangle Game, another activity often used in Compass Education trainings to illustrate dynamic systems behaviour. Each person secretly selected two others in the room and attempted to maintain an equal-sided triangle with them—while those individuals were doing the same.
As the game unfolded, the group shifted continually, speeding up, slowing down, and readjusting in response to one another’s movements.
During the debrief, a powerful insight emerged: even someone who felt least connected still influenced the entire system. One small step could trigger adjustments across the room—sometimes instantly, sometimes with a delay, but always with ripple effects.
This simple movement exercise reinforced a fundamental systems thinking principle: small actions, or puntos de apalancamiento, can create wide and often unexpected impacts across a system.
A Moment of Collective Momentum
As an official TED Countdown Anchor Event, TEDxChiangMai provided a meaningful platform to explore both ideas and practical strategies for climate action. The sense of collective momentum was truly inspiring.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who joined the workshop and contributed their curiosity, creativity, and presence. Experiences like these highlight why participatory learning, youth engagement, and systems thinking—as championed by Compass Education—are essential for addressing climate challenges in Southeast Asia and beyond.
Together, we can create the ripple effects needed to help rebalance humanity with our planet.
Author
Watkana Thonggrueng
Watkana Thongrueng (Nong) is the Operations Director for Compass Education, providing organizational and administrative support for the education programs and Compass trainers across the globe. In addition to her work with Compass Education, Nong is an independent consultant and educator supporting the implementation of sustainable and ethical agriculture standards in Thailand. Nong provides in-country support and training for international companies and organizations including; FairAgora Asia, Starbucks, the World Wildlife Fund and the United Nations. Nong grew up in a farm family in central Thailand before receiving her degree in Marine Science. She is passionate about educating the Thai people to develop lifestyles that protect and prioritize the environment. She believes that the best leadership is by example and she contributes to her community actively. In 2015, she was a trainer for the Network for Sustainable Development supporting the “Livable and Happiness City project” in 33 provinces. Nong contributed to the development of the Climate Change Education Framework for Thailand in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQP).
