Past Events
Jul 15, 2025
“Cultivating Compassionate Systems” Sharing by CEL Team
For the second consecutive year, CEL was invited to lead a 3-hour session on "Cultivating Compassionate Systems" for the Master of Arts in Leading Innovative Learning Organizations (LILO) at the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK). The session guided participants through foundational Compassionate Systems practices, beginning with a Check-In Practice to establish connection and presence. This was followed by a Visioning Exercise using the Mandala for Systems Awareness to identify personal and organizational blind spots, and a Current Reality Mapping activity using the Systems Thinking Iceberg to analyze complex challenges by uncovering their underlying structures and mental models.
Mar 14, 2025
Shaper Dinner with Esther Wojcicki
Organized by the Learning Committee of the Shaper Community, Shapers had the exclusive opportunity to join an intimate dinner and conversation with renowned American educator and author, Esther Wojcicki. The wide-ranging dialogue explored her famed 'TRICK' methodology for parenting and education, strategies for fostering student agency in schools, navigating the complexities of generative AI, and her lessons learned on leading systemic change. The event provided a unique opportunity for leaders to gain insights from her decades of experience as a disruptive innovator, sparking deep reflection on their own roles as changemakers in Hong Kong.
Jun 14, 2025
Making Thinking Visible Workshop #4
(【讓思考可視化 工作坊四】Making Thinking Visible 如何結合生成式 AI 工具促進自主學習？)
CEL and Flipped Education Hong Kong (FlipEduHK) co-hosted a workshop for 100 Hong Kong educators, "Developing Students’ Self-directed Learning in the AI-era through Making Thinking Visible (MTV) and Generative AI." The session explored promoting student thinking via thinking routines and AI collaboration (via sequential, complementary, integrative, and metacognitive levels of use). FlipEdUHK speakers shared practical examples in the primary and secondary contexts, inspiring meaningful AI use in education.
May 26, 2025
Principal Roundtable
Principals and leaders from our Partner Schools convened for a strategic roundtable to share recent innovations and upcoming initiatives. The discussions covered a wide range of topics, including the integration of AI into teaching and marking, the application of Cultures of Thinking, new STEAM protocols, and peer observation models. A key highlight was an interactive session with Flossie Chua from Harvard's Project Zero, who guided leaders through frameworks for designing and leading complex school change. The meeting concluded with updates on the significant growth of CEL's Making Thinking Visible and Compassionate Systems learning communities.
May 15-17, 2025
Compassionate Systems Introductory Training in HK
Building on the success of last year’s training, the Center for Systems Awareness and CEL hosted the second Compassionate Systems Introductory Training in Hong Kong for over 230 participants, including a large delegation from Japan. Led by Co-founders Dr. Peter Senge and Dr. Mette Boell (virtually), alongside Tyee Chin, this year's training was uniquely enriched by local perspectives. CEL's Executive Director, Angele Law, joined as a host to ground the framework in the Hong Kong context, while a new "Story From The Field" session featured powerful firsthand accounts from local educators, students, and Japanese practitioners, providing tangible inspiration for the growing community of practice in the region
Feb 28, 2025
Cultivating Leadership in Education (CLE): Stewards Pooi Tun Secondary School
Initiated by the Learning Committee of the Shaper Community, This enlightening visit enabled Shapers to gain insight from Stewards Pooi Tun Secondary School's (SPTSS) journey in implementing Life Education at school and the impact on the students. Teachers shared how they have brought Life Education to students of different ages and effectively passed on the core values and knowledge to teachers across all levels.
June 5, 2025
Compassionate Systems Community of Practice (CoP) Closing Convening
To celebrate the culmination of their year-long journey, educator teams from the Compassionate Systems Community of Practice (CoP), along with their colleagues and guests, gathered for a full-day Closing Convening. The day featured powerful sharings as participants mapped their individual learning journeys and each of the eight school teams presented their collective growth, experiments, and future plans. Using reflective tools like the "Habits of a Systems Thinker", the event served as a powerful testament to the community's development and concluded with teams mapping out their next steps to continue embedding Compassionate Systems in their school cultures.
May 19, 2025
Envisioning Innovation in Education (EIE) Alliance Learning Community event
Following the three-year Envisioning Innovation in Education (EIE) initiative, the EIE Alliance continues as a vibrant cross-school learning community. In 2024-25, our fellows explored Ron Ritchhart's "Cultures of Thinking" (CoT) framework, and shared learnings to 80 diverse educators at the annual Learning Community event. Fellows presented powerful stories of practice - from classroom applications to professional development - in relation to the CoT mindsets. Their stories inspired a collective commitment to cultivating thinking-rich environments for deeper student learning.
Mar 8, 2025
Making Thinking Visible Workshop #2
(【讓思考可視化 工作坊二】Making Thinking Visible ：MTV 在核心科目的應用)
CEL and Flipped Education Hong Kong (FlipEduHK) co-hosted the second Making Thinking Visible (MTV) Workshop #2, themed "The Application of Making Thinking Visible in Core Subjects for Deeper Learning". Participants engaged in the “Looking at Student Thinking” activity as a way to assess student progress and understanding. Guest speakers shared practical examples of how teachers can adopt thinking routines to promote students’ learning motivation and deeper thinking.
Feb 17, 2025
Compassionate Systems Community of Practice (CoP): Mid-term Convening
Marking the halfway point of their year-long journey, educator teams from the Compassionate Systems Community of Practice (CoP) gathered for a full-day Mid-term Convening to share insights and deepen their practice. Participants presented stories from their first innovation cycle in an exhibition board sharing, and deepened their focus on systems awareness through an immersive experience with societal narratives and the introduction of the Four Player Model for team dynamics. The day equipped educators with new frameworks as they planned for their second innovation cycle with a renewed sense of purpose.
Jan 17 & Jan 21, 2025
Compassionate Systems Introductory Training 2025 Info Session
In anticipation of the May 2025 Introductory Training with Dr. Peter Senge, CEL hosted two information sessions to introduce Compassionate Systems to the wider education community. Each session featured powerful stories of learning and practice from a diverse panel of local school leaders, teachers, and program advisors. The panelists shared firsthand accounts of how they have applied the framework to enhance well-being, deepen thinking, and support school development, providing a practical and inspiring invitation for new educators to join the growing community of practice in Hong Kong.
May 25, 2025
CEL X Breakthrough: Educators' Exchange on Navigating Tension on the Path to Adulthood (「在張力中一起成為理想中的大人」教育工作者交流會)
In collaboration with Breakthrough, CEL hosted an in-depth exchange for educators to explore the internal tensions and challenges faced by Hong Kong youth. The event began with an immersive experiential activity that allowed participants to feel the push-and-pull between ideals and reality, followed by deep group discussions centered on Breakthrough's book "Why Can't We Become the Adults We Want to Be?" (《為何我們無法成為理想中的大人？──香港青年面貌報告書》). Integrating concepts from the Compassionate Systems framework, the exchange guided educators to examine the underlying mental models and systemic structures shaping the youth experience and to collectively seek new opportunities to respond to their needs.
Feb 24, 2025
“Compassionate Systems in Action at Dulwich College (Singapore)” Sharing by Jacob Martin
CEL hosted an insightful sharing session with Jacob Martin, one of the most seasoned practitioners of Compassionate Systems, who presented a powerful case study on the framework's school-wide implementation at Dulwich College (Singapore). Drawing on his experience of growing Compassionate Systems from kindergarten to secondary levels, Jacob shared practical strategies for implementation and illustrated how the framework not only enhances student and teacher well-being but also improves academic outcomes. His talk provided valuable lessons for the Hong Kong education community on preparing students with the relational and thinking skills needed for a complex future.
May 14, 2025
Dialogue with Peter Senge: From Despair to Aspiration – Shifting the Energy as Compassionate Systems Leaders
CEL convened a cross-sector group of leaders from education, social impact, and business for an exclusive dialogue with renowned MIT systems thinker, Dr. Peter Senge, to explore how to shift from a problem-solving mindset of despair to one of creative aspiration. Drawing on his two decades of work with the Sustainable Food Lab, Peter shared a powerful case study of successful collaboration, highlighting the importance of "learning journeys" and reflective dialogue in building trust across diverse perspectives. He challenged the leaders to apply these lessons in Hong Kong, emphasizing the need to reintegrate school and community to collectively address the complex challenges facing today’s youth.
May 12, 2025
Compassionate Systems HK Reunion Dinner with Peter Senge
To kick off a week of Compassionate Systems events in Hong Kong, CEL hosted an exclusive reunion dinner for past training participants, featuring special guests Dr. Peter Senge and Tyee Chin from the Center for Systems Awareness. The evening provided a valuable opportunity for practitioners to reconnect, share stories of their learning journeys, and hear directly from Peter and Tyee during an interactive fireside chat. The event celebrated the significant growth of the Compassionate Systems community in Hong Kong and allowed leaders to exchange insights and puzzles from their ongoing practice, further strengthening the local network.
Apr 5,2025
Making Thinking Visible Workshop #3
(【讓思考可視化 工作坊三】Making Thinking Visible 如何在「其他學習經歷」(OLE) 中深化學習及促進反思？)
In collaboration with Flipped Education Hong Kong (FlipEduHK), the third "Making Thinking Visible" (MTV) workshop focused on "How to Deepen Learning and Promote Reflection in 'Other Learning Experiences' (OLE)." This workshop highlighted the connection between Making Thinking Visible and Design Thinking, and offered tools and dispositions for teachers and students to look closely, explore complexity, and find opportunities for collaborative change.