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Conversation Changers: Student Activism and the Future of Education
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Conversation Changers, Salzburg Global's podcast, brings together thought leaders, artists, policymakers, and change-makers from around the globe to reframe dialogue, explore new ideas, and imagine better futures.
In this episode of Conversation Changers, host Eric Olander explores the evolving landscape of student activism and the urgent need for a new intergenerational dialogue. While today’s youth face unprecedented pressures, from climate change to the rise of artificial intelligence, they are also demonstrating remarkable agency, critical thinking, and a desire to build a better world.
Joining the conversation are Salzburg Global Fellows Gloria Figueroa, General Director of the San José de las Vegas School in Colombia, and Alison Bellwood, Founder of World’s Largest Lesson and Executive Director at Project Everyone, a UK-based creative communications agency dedicated to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Together, they discuss why listening to young people is essential for our collective future and how we can move beyond tokenistic engagement to true power-sharing. From debating the role of AI in the classroom to reimagining the purpose of education, this episode investigates how educators, policymakers, and young people can collaborate to navigate these turbulent times.
Highlights From This Episode
- Redefining Activism: Traditional definitions of activism are shifting as young people move beyond ideological battles to focus on results, infrastructure, and real-world change.
- The Power of Intergenerational Listening: Ignoring the largest generation in history is a form of "self-sabotage," and building "challenge-based" learning environments is essential to bridging the divide between adults and youth.
- AI in the Classroom: We examine the "dead zone" in modern education, where students are aggressively using AI while institutions struggle to adapt, and how we can protect the value of cognitive struggle.
- Hope as an Educational Objective: Despite the pressures facing younger generations, there is a powerful opportunity to use the current era to foster hope, critical thinking, and collaboration.
- The Future of Learning: We must move toward a multi-sectoral conversation involving parents, the private sector, and educators to prevent the education system from becoming increasingly outdated.
Continue the Conversation
Click here to subscribe to Conversation Changers on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media using #ConversationChangers and tag @SalzburgGlobal.
To follow Alison Bellwood on LinkedIn, click here.
To follow Gloria Figueroa on LinkedIn, click here.
To follow Eric Olander on LinkedIn, click here.
