Laurus Regenerative

Tag: Idiomas

  •  Regenerative Education: A Framework for Thriving Schools

     Regenerative Education: A Framework for Thriving Schools

     Regenerative Education: A Framework for Thriving Schools

    1. What Is Regenerative Education?

    Regenerative education is an emerging approach that goes beyond sustainability. Instead of merely reducing harm, it aims to restore, renew, and enhance the well-being of learners, educators, communities, and ecosystems. It views the school not as a mechanical institution but as a living system, one that develops through relationships, cooperation, diversity, and adaptation. In other words, the same principles that allow natural ecosystems to flourish.

    In this approach, learning is not just about academic achievement. It is about cultivating the human and ecological capacities that make healthy, resilient, and compassionate communities possible

    2. Why It Matters Now

    Schools are facing unprecedented challenges: teacher burnout, student anxiety, social fragmentation, lack of meaning, and disconnection from nature. Traditional improvement models are no longer enough. Regenerative education responds to these challenges by:

    • strengthening teacher well-being and sense of purpose
    • building emotionally intelligent, confident, self-aware learners
    • reconnecting students with nature and community
    • creating learning environments where everyone can flourish
    • preparing young people for a complex, interdependent world

    It aligns closely with the 2030 EU educational priorities, the UN SDGs, and the Andalusian strategic goals for inclusive, high-quality, future-oriented education.

    3. Core Principles of Regenerative Education

    1) Learning as a Living System

    Education is understood as a dynamic ecosystem. This means promoting:

    • cooperation rather than competition
    • diversity of perspectives
    • self-organization and student agency
    • flexible, adaptive learning environments

    Teachers are facilitators of growth, not mere transmitters of content.

    2) Human Flourishing and Well-Being

    Regenerative schools place well-being at the center. This can include:

    • mindfulness practices to reduce stress and improve focus
    • emotional intelligence skills for self-awareness and social harmony
    • compassionate communication and conflict resolution
    • supportive environments that prevent burnout

    A thriving teacher is the foundation of a thriving school.

    3) Connection with Nature and Place

    Nature is not an occasional field trip; it needs to become our guide. Through activities like forest schools, outdoor experiential learning in school gardens and biomimicry-inspired activities, students develop:

    • ecological literacy
    • sensory awareness
    • creativity and problem-solving skills
    • a sense of belonging to the natural world

    These experiences have clear benefits for attention, mood, motivation, and inclusion.

    4) Systems Thinking and Regenerative Leadership

    Regenerative education helps learners see the world as interconnected. Students and teachers learn to:

    • recognize patterns and feedback loops
    • understand complexity
    • develop solutions that support the whole system
    • lead collaboratively and ethically

    This prepares them for a rapidly changing social and technological landscape.

    5) Learning That Serves Community and Purpose

    Regenerative education connects learning with real-world challenges, community needs, and personal meaning and through participatory projects students can develop:

    • communication in multiple languages
    • creativity and innovation
    • critical thinking
    • empathy and civic responsibility

    This approach fosters a culture of contribution and belonging.

    Case studies

    Educating for Regeneration: Schools as Living Systems of Hope

    In a time marked by uncertainty, fragmentation, and growing pressure on educational communities, regenerative education offers something profoundly needed: a return to life-centred learning. It invites us to move beyond systems that merely endure, toward schools that restore, reconnect, and regenerate — places where children, teachers, families, and communities can truly flourish.

    Regenerative education is not an abstract theory or a distant ideal. It is already alive in schools that dare to reimagine what education can be when relationships, wellbeing, creativity, and connection to place are placed at the heart of learning.

    CEIP San José de Calasanz (Málaga) stands as a living example of this possibility. Over eight years, the school has evolved into a thriving educational ecosystem, where physical spaces, pedagogy, and community life are deeply interwoven. Classrooms extend into corridors and gardens; learning is embodied through art, ceramics, storytelling, and history made visible; and the school itself functions as a shared living space that adapts to the needs of its people. Families are not visitors but partners. Inclusion is not a policy but a daily practice. Care for children extends beyond the timetable, recognising the realities of modern life and supporting families with compassion and dignity. This is regeneration in action — a school that does not simply transmit knowledge, but cultivates belonging, agency, and collective care.

    At CEIP Daidín (Benahavís), regeneration begins from within. Emotional intelligence, wellbeing, and relational awareness form the foundation of school life. Teachers are equipped not only with pedagogical tools, but with emotional literacy and reflective practices that enable them to support both themselves and their pupils. Children learn to name, understand, and regulate emotions, developing resilience and empathy from an early age. Through participatory leadership, student voice, and everyday practices of gratitude and listening, the school nurtures a culture where every individual feels seen and valued. Here, regeneration unfolds through relationships — quiet, consistent, and deeply transformative.

    Conclusion

    We need to remind ourselves that education is a living system, shaped by context, culture, relationships, and care. When we support educators to lead regeneratively with mindfulness, emotional intelligence, systems thinking, and inspiration drawn from nature, schools become places that not only prepare students for the future, but actively heal and regenerate the present.

    This is the vision at the heart of our proposal and we want to work alongside our partners; to empower educators as regenerative leaders; to reconnect learning with real life skills and needs; to cultivate wellbeing, inclusion, and creativity, and; to design educational cultures that are wise, compassionate, and alive.

    By sharing practices, building transnational learning communities, and honouring the wisdom already present in our schools, we plant seeds for a more humane and regenerative educational future;one where schools are not simply institutions, but roots of transformation within their communities.

    Education, when nurtured with care and intention, has the power not only to sustain, but to regenerate.

  • La importancia de crear un espacio consciente

    La importancia de crear un espacio consciente

     The Importance of Creating a Mindful Space

    In June 2025, we were fortunate to host a group of Welsh school teachers here in Málaga, in collaboration with our partners ACCIPE: https://accipe.org/  and the Welsh mobility programme TAITH (similar to Erasmus+).

    Málaga is a city that naturally invites mindful reflection. It delights the senses and fosters a sense of well-being, making it an ideal setting for our work together. The teachers stayed at El Seminario (La Casa Diocesana), a beautiful historic building that now hosts training groups focused on spirituality, therapy, or social development. It’s a space perfectly suited to mindfulness courses—one that invites guests to relax, disconnect, and reflect on both personal and professional contexts.

    Throughout the week, we combined daily mindfulness meditation practice with Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) applied to the teachers’ educational realities. The aim was to promote regeneration by engaging participants’ critical thinking and creativity, all grounded in active listening, empathy, and compassion.

    We also spent a day at the University of Málaga (UMA), where we explored further the importance of creating mindful spaces. Our first visit was to the Faculty of Education, where Dr Juan G, a renowned local architect, explained the design of a sustainable outdoor classroom affectionately known as “The Mushroom.” This space encourages meditation and small group collaboration in an open-air environment far removed from traditional classrooms.

    Dra Luisa M also spoke about how mindfulness is being integrated into teacher training programmes at UMA, as well as other university faculties—showing highly positive results in both student and staff well-being.

    Our visit continued to the Botanical Garden, where we were welcomed by biologist Dra Rosa P and our colleague at Laurus, Nathalie Borges. Together, we’ve used this space for activities during a mindful summer camp for children. The garden offers an ideal setting for all kinds of mindfulness practices—from quiet reflection and observation to active learning about nature and regeneration.

    We concluded our university visit at the Faculty of Psychology, where we toured a dedicated meditation room—an intentionally designed space for mindfulness practice by our host Dra Myriam D. Having a room like this in your school or faculty can be a powerful tool for introducing mindfulness and fostering a culture of well-being within the educational community. We also received a practical class from our colleague Teresa Roura.

    The purpose of this blog is to invite you to reflect on the importance of physical space in nurturing well-being, regeneration, and effective learning.

    If you’d like to know more about how we can help you create or transform such a space, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.