By Umar Sheraz
I was introduced to the idea of teaching futures thinking to young children in 2020, by Teach the Future. Teach the Future is a global non-profit movement that promotes ‘futures literacy’ as a life skill for students and educators. The premise is simple and thought-provoking. We passionately teach about the past to millions of children but we do not tutor them about the future space, in which they will live. Working with kids from classes 5 to 8, provides a different and refreshing perspective about the future, then while working with adults. I have always been amazed at the liberating energy, as if it is a question waiting to be asked. Unfortunately, millions of kids will not have the luxury of exploring the future where they will live.
When I started my work with children, I was introduced to the Futures Thinking Playbook (King and West, 2020). It is an interactive, fun, and engaging workbook about futures thinking, designed for teachers and students (Fernandes, 2023). It has been compiled in a very logical and straightforward manner with different tools about the future. The Playbook does not have the Futures Triangle. I admire the futures triangle as a simple tool to map the different variables influencing a particular issue (Inayatullah, 2008). So I introduced the futures triangle, during my training workshops with teachers and young students.
Introduction to the Futures Triangle
I usually start my futures programs, by creating an analogy of futures thinking as a journey and the need to prepare for that expedition before we embark on it. The voyagers have to think ahead about the necessities of the journey, the travel conditions and other critical things before leaving for the voyage. When the children were asked, their responses included requirements of suitable attire, maps, pirate ships, food/ water and weather conditions as critical factors that must be considered before starting the journey. This makes it easy to introduce the futures triangle later as a spaceship on a voyage – a “rocket towards the future”.
Fig 1. A rocket to the future. Photo Credit: Saba Nazir
The pull of the future (and the images) represents the destination where we wish to reach. The weights are like gravity; pulling us away from our destination and must be overcome to launch our rocket into space. The push acts as the fuel/ propellant (or slingshot) which propels the rocket in the particular direction we wish to move. The interaction between these three forces determines the future of any issue.
In my work with children, there have been different ways that the futures triangle has been used to express the contours of an issue. I have used Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as practical steps to help implement futures thinking tools. The children are encouraged to choose one of the 17 SDG challenges, which is important for their community or they have strong feelings for it. They were also invited to share their thoughts on why tackling that specific SDG is important for their community. While working with students at Unity International School, I recall a group of girls choosing SDG 17 (peace, justice, and strong institutions) for their project. When I asked them about it, one little girl said, “You mentioned that the SDGs are all linked. If we had justice in our country, the other SDGs would sort themselves out.” (Sheraz, 2023).
Fig 2. If this SDG was looked after, the other SDGs would take care of themselves. Photo Credit: Umar Sheraz
Colours, Imagination, Innovation and Insights
I have seen many practitioners use the futures triangle but I must admit the artifacts created by children, are some of the more creative and delightful representations of the futures triangle that I have come across. The artwork is imaginative and is beautifully balanced with insights from a child’s perspective. I have found children to be inquisitive, engaged, following instructions, and eager to share their thoughts and opinions.
Fig. 3. Worth their weight in words. Photo Credit: Sobia Irum
Figure 4. Words and Color..a winning combination. Photo Credit: Sobia Irum
Usually my participants have come up with the pulls, pushes and weights of the future and this used to be described in the text. I was lucky to work with children of exceptional English writing and speaking abilities. However, if we are to open the imagination, fantasy and creativity of the futures space, language can be an impediment for the expression of feelings and ideas, especially for a non-English speaking audience. This also leads to “incomplete” expression of ideas, and ineffective communication of cultural and social nuances.
Fig 5, 6. Creativity and Imagination. Photo Credit: Umar Sheraz
Then I came across the work of TED-talk speaker Patti Dobrowolski (2015), who encouraged her participants to draw the future that they wish to create. This approach is very useful in my work with children and youth. Drawing liberates people from the shackles of words, expressions and correctness. Therefore, I have started to emphasize more on the drawings and images of the future, which pull and inspire them itself. For example, I remember the work of a girl who came up with the idea of sentient robots in the future. She yearned for a world, where people have time to pause, listen and reflect.
Fig 7, 8. Colours, innovations, inspiration and ideas..the futures triangles have it all. Photo Credit: Sobia Irum
Moving Ahead
The futures dialogues provided the children with an opportunity to explore various aspects of the SDGs such as the future of education, life under sea, climate change, hunger, and poverty. By thinking critically and creatively about the future, marvelous artifacts and insights emerged from the dialogues on these SDGs. I hope that these children can develop the agency to influence the future space.
I have always been amazed at the children’s flight of fantasy and futures orientation. I believe that the futures triangle has a place in the Futures Playbook for teachers and children. I hope that this article inspires more facilitators to experiment and share their experiences using the “rocket toward the future”.
Acknowledgments
I thank Madam Sobia Irum and Hashir Zuberi at Unity International School and Madam Nadia at Silveroaks School for creating beautiful dialogue spaces with children.
References
Dobrowolski, P. (2015). Draw your future, take control of your life by Patti Dobrowolski (Transcript). Retrieved September 09, 2024, from https://singjupost.com/draw-your-future-take-control-of-your-life-by-patti-dobrowolski-transcript/3/?print=print
Inayatullah, Sohail. (2008). Six Pillars: Futures Thinking for Transforming. Foresight. 10 (1): 4-21.
Fernandes, T. (2023). Future Play: Exploring a Futures Thinking Toolkit for Elementary Education.
King, K., & West, J. R. (2020). Futures thinking playbook. Create Space.
Sheraz, U. (2023). Exploring the futures space at Unity International School. Teach the future.
Retrieved September 09, 2024, from https://www.teachthefuture.org/post/exploring-the-futures-space-at-unity-international-school
