ABOUT
Teach the Future is a global non-profit movement that promotes ‘futures literacy’ as a life skill for students and educators.
In a rapidly evolving world it is essential to learn how to deal with uncertain and ever-changing futures. Let’s prepare our next generations with these skills in the classroom!
Our aspiration is that every student is prepared to navigate an uncertain world and has the agency to imagine and create their preferred future.
Our mission is to teach futures-thinking skills to students and educators around the world and to inspire them to influence their futures.
Why is teaching the future important?
We know that hope for the future is a primary predictor of success, but schools offer few practical tools to help students make sense of change or to explore their role in shaping the future.
We believe that young people of any age can learn to think critically and creatively about the future and develop the agency to influence it.
The Teach the Future community is dedicated to bringing futures thinking to schools, educators, and students around the world. By teaching the future you can equip young people to face uncertainty and help them envision and create their preferred future.
Teach the Future supports the 2030 Agenda for sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 4: “to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”
The Teach the Future curriculum (in various formats) is taught in schools (or after school hours) around the world.
What impact do we want to achieve?
By getting futures thinking into classrooms today, we want to achieve long-term outcomes for generations to come:
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Stimulate futures consciousness
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Activate different ways of thinking (critically and creatively)
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Teach the ability to navigate and influence change in the face of uncertainty and complexity
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Engage in better decision-making
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Create more active citizens
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Spark more empathy, particularly for future generations, in solving societal issues
How did it all start?
Teach the Future was founded by American professor Peter Bishop. Peter led the University of Houston Master's in Foresight program for 30 years and wrote Teaching About the Future with his colleague, Andy Hines. Upon his retirement in 2013 he initiated Teach the Future because he felt that futures thinking should not only be taught at universities but made accessible from an early age on. In the past years Peter’s mission for Teach the Future has spread out over the world and is still spreading….
Janine Nel
South Africa Hub Coordinator
Janine is a futurist, coordinates the Futures Foresight program in South Africa and manages the Hub.
Lourdes Rodríguez
Global Hub Coordinator
Lourdes is the global Hubs coordinator and also manages the Hub in Spain.
Els Dragt
The Netherlands Hub
Els is a Dutch Futurist and manages several EU project for TTF in Europe.
Lisa Giuliani
Global Youth Projects Director
Lisa Giuliani is in charge of internship and volunteer opportunities for Teach the Future. Seasoned in educational management, organizational development and building partnerships. She is always on the look out for collaborative projects.
Rosa Alegria
Core team member & Brasil Hub Director
Rosa is the CEO of Teach the Future Brasil and Coordinator of South American hubs for Teach the Future. She conducts workshops and seminars on foresight throughout Brasil.
Alethia Baena Montero
Core team member & Mexico Hub Director
Alethia Baena Montero is the Director of the Teach the Future Mexico. She is conducting workshops for teachers and students and on teaching the future.
Meet the team
Peter Bishop
Founder
Peter Bishop is founder and Executive Director of Teach the Future. He led the University of Houston Master's in Foresight program for 30 years and co-wrote the text book Teaching About the Future.
Erica Bol
Deputy Director
Erica Bol is our ever enthusiastic conscious futures consultant who helps educators and young people envision more sustainable futures.
Willem Overbosch
Business Explorer
Willem is Business Development explorer for Teach the Future. He has over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship founding and building businesses. He’s also an author and keynote speaker on sustainability, futures thinking and technology.
Alanna Barnes
Social Media Manager
Alanna is a Organizational Development Consultant. She is passionate about creating a TTF movement to inspire youth and individuals alike. Alanna is based in Hawaï
Amna Habiba
Director of Youth Innovation
& Technology
Amna is passionate about Girls Rights, UN Sustainable Development Goals & Literacy. She runs our Young Voices Network and build our platfrorm. She lives in Pakistan
Maria Gabriela García López
Peru Hub Director
Gabriela runs our Peru hub. She's on a mission to make the futures thinking space available for young people and adults in Peru.
Thomas D'hooge
Belgium Hub Director
Thomas runs our Belgium hub. He's on a mission to gather like-minded people from all over the globe to pursue his plan of developing a Museum of Futures.
Epaminondas
Christophilopoulos
Greece Hub Director
Nondas runs our Greece Hub. He's the Chief Scientific Advisor, Special Secretariat for Strategic Foresight, Presidency of the Greek Government
Mohsen Taheri
Iran Hub Director
Mohsen runs our Iran hub. He's on a mission to make the futures thinking space available for young people and adults in Iran.
Mustafa Aykut
Turkey Hub Director
Mustafa runs our Turkey hub. He's leading the inclusion of futures thinking curriculum at GEN Koleji, a network of private K-12 schools in Istanbul.
Glen Lombard
Canada Hub Co-Director
Glen is a futurist, systemic designer, and change facilitator. Working towards more equitable, prosperous, and sustainable communities.
Patrick Boot
Canada Hub Co-Director
Patrick is a designer for social and planetary good. He leads the Canada Hub with his partner Glen Lombard.