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As a result of continued failures and missed opportunities, schools in Switzerland are criticized in public and their future viability is questioned – also by teachers. Workshops moderated by Monika Herrmann from moderning show how a young, self-determined generation together with futurology can create essential impulses for alternatives worth living.

School model at present: missed opportunities, no concept for the future
Teacher shortages, burnout, lateral entrants trained in crash courses, unattractive working conditions, a school policy that has failed to respond to the challenges of the last fifty years. It maneuvers between conflicting interests instead of proactively shaping the future. This is the perception of the public, experts and teachers at least on the current situation of elementary school and preschool education in Switzerland.

Educational models put to the test
Against this backdrop, the self-image of teachers, policymakers and executive authorities needs to be scrutinized. Do educational models address the skills that will be needed in the future? What learning goals result from social and technological dynamics? Which interdisciplinary concepts are suitable for the promotion of students, individually, in groups as well as for social integration?

Going forward with futurology?
This is where futurology comes in – for the generation to whom the future belongs. With scenarios up to 2040 or further and thus beyond the usual planning horizon. In workshops, future images are created with desired states and an educational model that focuses on creativity, empathy, personal responsibility and social competence. Using the so-called backcasting method, the future images are re-projected to the present and tested for their suitability for implementation. Simultaneously, the images of the future make it clear where it is worthwhile to let go of what is believed to be reliable and to show the courage to “rulebreaking”.

moderning as a future coach
moderning moderates workshops under the guidance of Monika Herrmann, with which the school becomes fit for the future. The focus is placed on personality development. Artificial intelligence as well as digitalization are not only used to efficiently transmit traditional contents of learning. Consideration is also given to how pedagogical job profiles could be designed with a view to future-oriented educational goals. So that the school – thanks to futurology – has a future!

Gloomy present, dark future? Not at all. Even if the current situation with regard to the economy, politics, climate, the environment or health seems difficult or even hopeless – anyone who dares to take a look into the future and deal with it quickly realizes: with a positive mindset and innovative thinking, solutions are emerging that are already in use today, generating new opportunities and possibilities.

Zurich, August 2022 – Heat waves, drought, the economic consequences of the pandemic, political unrest and the war in Ukraine: the current world situation does not exactly make for optimism. It is therefore all the more important not to lose sight of the future and to consider the world ten, twenty or even more years from now. More than ever, we need innovative ideas, ways of thinking and acting out of the box, and people and companies that invest time and expertise in new technologies and take on forward-thinking roles. There are ways out of the crisis, and finding them is part of the work of futurologists like Monika Herrmann with moderning in Zurich. She was also a guest at the 2b Ahead Future Congress in Munich in July 2022. Managers, business representatives, investors, politicians, but also artists, science fiction authors, and just futurologists from all over the world meet at this annual congress to discuss the technology roadmaps, business models, and markets of the next ten years. “One of the Speakers 2022 was Anna Chernyavsky, Senior Sales Manager of the Israeli company WaterGen,” said Monika Herrmann. “She showed how the water problems of the future can be solved.” That’s because the world’s freshwater reserves are melting and flowing into the sea. They are converting to salt water, and in as little as ten years, about half the people on earth will no longer have direct access to drinking water. WaterGen extracts drinking water from the air with its technology. The company is the world market leader, and the technology has been named one of the ‘world’s most important innovations’ by the World Economic Forum.

“Humans as intelligent beings have so much potential,” Monika Herrmann continued. “The positive mindset at this future event, in combination with the numerous innovative solutions for a wide variety of current challenges, give us courage for the future!”

Futurology makes school!

Futurology plays a key role in determining where the world will be in ten or more years. As an expert, Monika Herrmann and moderning normally develop future scenarios together with companies over a period of ten to 30 years. Her latest project ,Future into Schools’ is targeted at the pioneers of the future: the next generation. “We bring teachers and pedagogues closer to the rather abstract subject of futurology with exciting workshops. The makers of the next future are at the schools. By highlighting scenarios, possibilities, risks and opportunities, we want to awaken the potential of the next generation and arouse their curiosity, provide an incentive for creative thinking and rule breaking. Last but not least, more knowledge and better understanding also ensure a positive outlook on the future.”

For questions, interviews or further information on futurology or the new offer ‘Future Workshop for Schools’, please contact Monika Herrmann.

Pictures attached: Monika Herrmann, futurologist moderning

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