The best way to predict the future is to create it.
- Peter Drucker
For secondary schools and higher education
For parents with teenagers
For career guidance counselors
Between the ages of 12 and 18, young people have to make several choices that will determine their future, such as education, level of education, subject package, and choice of further study and profession. This is very difficult when you are still developing, your brain is far from mature and you have so little life experience. Moreover, the world is changing rapidly because of climate change, technology, and globalization. Choices made now, are very quickly outdated in tomorrow's world.
Already in school, we need to give young people opportunities to work on their future and contribute to a liveable planet. That's why I developed FutureLab.
FutureLab, a special career orientation program
In FutureLab young people are stimulated to think about their future with the help of films, games, active forms of work, and creative thinking techniques. They are inspired by getting to know developments, innovations, and new initiatives in various (work) fields and industries. They formulate their personal Future Questions, and search for answers on the internet and in companies. They present the results to each other. In this way, they discover what fascinates them. This in turn gets them thinking about what they should and want to learn at school and what choices they have to make.
Modular design of FutureLab
FutureLab consists of several modules, including 68 Inspiration videos, the Core Values Game®, and the FutureLab Game®. The modular design and the games make the program as easy and flexible as possible to use at school, for example in mentor lessons, citizenship lessons, project weeks, or as part of existing career orientation programs.
Also a FutureLab at your school?
FutureLab is for schools in secondary and further education and is suitable for young people aged 12 and over. The program is tailor-made, fitting within the possibilities of the school. By training teachers (deans, mentors), they can guide FutureLab themselves. This makes it possible to give the program to several classes at once and repeat it annually. If you want to know more about the possibilities for FutureLab at your school, please contact me here.
FutureLab vision document
This free Vision document for schools explains why FutureLab was developed, how to incorporate FutureLab into the existing curriculum of your school, such as in mentoring classes, and how to guide it as a teacher. Available in English.
Module 1 of FutureLab consists of 68 Inspiration videos grouped under the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. The videos are freely accessible to everyone and will be refreshed from time to time.
Module 2 is the Future Lab Game®. This game helps young people formulate their Future Questions. The game can be ordered through this website. The game can be ordered separately or as part of FutureLab.
FutureLab at the Vathorst College in Amersfoort
"At school we don't really look to the future that much," says a student at Vathorst College in the video about FutureLab. In FutureLab we do. Using Inspiration videos students look for answers to their own Future question.
For most students, going on company visits is the highlight of FutureLab. They go to a company that they have usually searched for themselves and that fits their Future Questions.
Experiences with FutureLab at the Vathorst College in Amersfoort
Since 2016 FutureLab has been taking place at the Vathorst College. In high school, the knowledge of developments in society and experiences with the outside world are still very limited.
Having different experiences and being inspired by them, helps young people to discover who they are and what suits them. FutureLab is designed to help students in this journey of discovery.
Michiel Westland, Dean at the Vathorst College:
"It forces students and teachers to step out of their comfort zone. It takes guts to work on your development in this way. FutureLab is so well-liked that we have incorporated the program into the curriculum."
"My company visit was very interesting. I was allowed to go into the lab and interview the director!"
"I now know what higher education I want to choose."
Personal interest in students is the stardust of FutureLab.
Student on company visit to a lab on the campus of Wageningen.
Students working together on a mind map about self-directed transport.
At Cabral, a special FutureLab took place, where parents participated with their children. This led to interesting and open conversations between young people and their parents.
"FutureLab is a first step that gets the ball rolling. I found the unique and beautiful approach of looking to the future very inspiring".
"I really enjoyed being there! For me, as a 19-year-old, the presentation and the discussions were the most important, because I learned a lot from them."
"A nice, varied program. With "Across the Line" as an intro, presentations and discussions, learned a lot''.