Imagine a world where students can change the future by transforming their education. This summer, oikos International brought together six teams of students from all over the world to do just that. These future-leaders worked closely together to develop sustainability projects that would empower their fellow students to change the world.
This project is part of the Transforming Education work that oikos International participates in. We help students to take ownership of their own education and fill the gaps their universities have. In an era of climate emergency, students, of all stages, work together to push for institutions to teach ways of interacting with the planet and society in a respectful and sustainable manner. Want to learn more about our work? Check out our website!
Maybe you saw our pilot Camp last year in Sestriere, Italy? Our experience in planning Camp 2021 helped us create an amazing atmosphere and program for the oikos Camp 2022 participants. Now, we’re set up to make Camp a permanent part of the oikos International programming. We want you to be a part of it for next year! Do you want to join us? Email us at te.squad@oikos-international.org!
oikos Camp 2022 Participants
Welcome to Camp 2022
oikos Camp is a week-long, non-formal, educational program by the oikos International Transforming Education initiative where student teams work together on developing projects related to sustainability and education. Camp provides the teams with a physical space to meet, workshops with trained coaches, and a platform to publish & share their projecst. If you are interested in the rationale for Camp and what inspired it then you can visit our website to learn more!
For this year’s iteration, we gathered at Cal Vidal, a Spanish ecovillage, located in the old textile town of Puig Reig, not far from Barcelona, Spain. This beautiful site, surrounded by mountains and rivers, provided the perfect space to disconnect, concentrate on our projects, and reconnect with nature and with ourselves.
Cal Vidal, Spain
Our Courtyard
The Old Textile Factory
There were six teams that joined this year plus our organizational and magical coaches we liked to call the Genies. Below we go into the output each team was able to achieve but this article tells you a little bit more about why each team joined the Camp.
While at Camp, one of our teams, the Story Squad created this cool recap video to explain exactly what we worked to achieve. Check out the video below to learn more about Camp 2022.
The Work We Achieved Together
With each Camp, we reach out to our network and invite teams to work on their projects together with us. These teams get to contribute to the transformation of our educational system from a bottom-up approach and share their work widely. The onsite and collaborative nature of our program builds connections across the world and supplies students with expert help. The innovative style of our work, focus on skill development, and time in nature creates a unique experience for our participants. We’re so proud of the work our teams achieved.
ESADE Transformation Lab
Team: Yiyuan Cai, Manuela Montaño, Laia Batchellí (left to right)
ESADE University has been a long time supporter with the local chapter, oikos Barcelona, and was willing to cooperate with our Camp planning to sponsor student-led team to further develop the University’s ongoing curricular change initiative. This is an example of how universities can participate in the work oikos does.
At Camp, the ESADE team envisioned the Transformation Lab which aims to create a sharing environment among different degrees with different generations of students within ESADE. Based on pilot events conducted within the faculty, the team realized it was useful to create a permanent, inter-generational and inter-disciplinary dialogue that could bring together undergraduate students (juniors) and students from the Executive Development Programs (seniors). Gathering both profiles of scholars will unleash a wide range of possibilities beyond the academic because the Lab facilitates a streamlined exchange of powerful ideas from members of a talented community that, despite having different backgrounds, do share the same topics of interest.
During the Camp, the team developed a proposal to ESADE to have the Lab be incorporated as a year-long elective class. This proposal includes information in regard to the volume of participants and their respective degree, the content of each session (each session will deal with a sustainability-related topic), and an evaluation system. In addition, the Lab will track the impact of the initiative, as well as, incorporating a feedback mechanism in order to make sure the project will be able to constantly adapt to the needs of students interested in being part of it. For more information, you can find our presentation here: Transformation Lab.
The team from ESADE included Yiyuan, Manuela, and Laia. They are organizing the transformation lab and would love your help or maybe you want to start one at your university. Please email Laia to learn more: laia.batchelli@oikos-international.org.
You can check out the ESADE Team’s presentation on our YouTube Channel.
Story Squad
Team: Kai Proessdorf, Michael Winter, David Reventos (left to right)
The story initiative of oikos International aims to enhance the impact students have on transforming higher education by improving the way we all create, weave and frame our stories. By sharing meaningful stories with a broader community the Story Squad works to attract more students to oikos, to lobby for curriculum change at the Universities oikos works with, to make the impact of oikos and students more visible, and to strengthen the relationship oikos has with partners and donors.
At the oikos Camp 2022, a team of engaged storytellers kickstarted the Story Squad with the intention to elevate the storytelling abilities of oikos. The Story Squad created a video story about the oikos Camp itself and crafted a framework for creating and sharing impactful storytelling. Within this framework, the learnings from the video creation process were integrated. Make sure to watch & share the video summarizing camp.
In the upcoming months, we want to develop the Story Squad and the framework further and spread it within the oikos community. Stay tuned to hear more about the Story Squad and join if you are interested. Reach out to Michael if you want to join: michael.winter@oikos-international.org
You can check out the Story Squad’s presentation on our YouTube Channel.
Sustainability Basecamp
Team: Lennart Reymann (computer), Darija Miletic, Elena Tobar, Sophie Charrios (left to right)
The Sustainability Basecamp team gathered around the common passion to create an interactive & playful online learning platform to prepare oikees for the journey towards Mount Sustainability! For a long while, oikos International has been sitting with the question & challenge of equipping our diverse community of student change agents, with a systemic perspective on sustainability that transcends the wonderful normative and culture-influenced conversations that are such an important part of a holistic understanding. The team started developing a short core training with several proactive & reflective elements during Camp. Throughout this incredible experience, the team formed a clear vision, sharpened the core values for the course, started the magic of content creation, and collaborated with multiple teams on site while having a lot of fun and connectedness. The first draft is more than ready and the team has managed to charm a few campers to contribute as beta testers.
The team strongly believes that this course will allow students to get in touch with a more systemic perspective on sustainability, find further resources, & share their own learnings with one another. Click here if you’d like to see the team’s camp presentation.
Are you ready to climb Mount Sustainability with us? Become a part of the base camp to start your hike. If you’d like to learn more about the project then reach out to Darija: darija.miletic@oikos-international.org.
You can check out the Sustainability Basecamp presentation on our YouTube Channel.
Photo Title: Darija, Elena, and Sophie (left to right)
Sustainable Business Models (SBM) Team
Team: Lilia Yang, Navya Shivaprakash, Ann Neuberger (left to right)
The mission of the oikos SBM team was to empower companies and organizations to move towards a more circular and sustainable economy. The team developed a workshop structure to build a Sustainable Business Model for companies during Camp. Within this workshop, there were many different tools that the team developed together like these data service cards which show the many different areas where a company can look at to incorporate sustainability. Another tool developed was the Green Data Canva to dive deeper into a company’s data sources. Finally, the team proposed an idea for an online moodle platform to support further learning that companies can access to drive change. The team not only managed to accomplish a lot of different tasks for this project but they also grew, connected, and learned from each other. This camp experience brought the team closer to ourselves, nature, each other, and their dreams. This is the power of Camp.
If you’d like to learn more about the proposals the SBM Team made, their slides can be found here: oikos SBM Slides. Lilia, Navya, and Ann are working on this project as part of their education and look forward to working with businesses to drive real change. If you are a company or a fellow researcher interested in participating in this project or using the resources the team is developing then please reach out to Lilia: lilia.yang@graz.oikos-international.org.
You can check out the SBM Team’s presentation on our YouTube Channel.
Sustainable Finance Toolkit
Team: Luke Ryan Pickering, Nadja Vitorovic, Hülya Afat, Stephen Snider (left to right)
The Sustainable Finance Squad gathered at oikos Camp 2022 with the purpose of expanding the oikos Sustainable Finance Toolkit with knowledge about the industry. The toolkit can be found here: www.oikos.world/susfin.
During the camp, work was done to improve the toolkit website, to develop outreach materials, and to make event connections between oikos chapters and business professionals. The target audience of our project is students and young professionals interested in finance. Those willing to learn can use the platform to access various resources, find chances for networking, and view a guide on hosting an event on Sustainable Finance. The development of these outcomes was the key achievement during the week of camp.
For the team, Camp was a good opportunity to meet new people with great passion towards creating a better and sustainable society as well as develop ourselves professionally. They hosted 8 interviews during the Camp where they could network with practitioners and researchers. These interviews are available on the Toolkit. More interviews will be recorded and posted. If you’d like to join the squad, develop content for the toolkit, and participate in networking activities reach out to Stephen to join: stephen.snider@oikos-international.org.
If you would like to see our presentation to the community check it out here: www.oikos.world/SusFinCampPresentation and be sure to check out our website at www.oikos.world/susfin.
You can check out the Sustainable Finance Team’s presentation on our YouTube Channel.
Photo Title: Stephen, Hülya, Nadja, and Luke (left to right) Present the Toolkit
Transforming Education (TE) Squad
Team: Laia Barchellí, Leonie Egenhofer, Longyue Zheng, Noemi Zmork (clockwise from top left)
The TE Squad came together to transform and reshape the existing oikos International’s Curriculum Change Squad into the Transforming Education Squad (TE Squad). As a group, the team quickly found a common vision for what a TE Squad would look like. The aim here is to empower and connect students from local oikos chapters all around the world that are working on transforming education. The Squad would help by providing them with a platform for knowledge exchange and support because when the world needs to change, teaching needs to change. With this clear objective in mind, the TE Squad designed a framework about how they will work in the future, a structure for the online meetings, and the design of the new website to tell the world a bit more about our project. The priority was to create an environment where the members feel heard and see their needs fulfilled, where synergies can be created, and where people remain engaged. Therefore, members will get responsibilities but also space to create or attend workshops and shape the TE Squad as they want it to be!
If you want to have a look at their presentation, it can be found under the following link: oikos TE Squad Slides. The camp experience gave them an opportunity to work, connect and grow together as a team. It also let the squad meet other oikees who share the same values and learn about new projects towards sustainability. They believe that together, we have the power to change the world and achieve our dreams!
The TE Squad at Camp was made up of Leonie, Longyue, and Noemi and had support from our Transforming Education Program Manager, Laia. If you would like to join the Squad please email at te.squad@oikos-international.org.
You can check out the Squad’s presentation on our YouTube Channel and if you want to learn more about it please check out our recent article on the TE Squad.
New Ways of Working Together
The work of oikos is to empower future leaders and inspire new ways of working and thinking. Our sustainable future depends on us connecting and sharing together. The safe, collaborative, and innovative space created during Camp allows teams to go further, faster, and with higher quality outputs that are from a realistic work style while in nature. This is what all our work could be like if we tried.
To achieve what we did at camp, it was possible with the help of four facilitators named “Genies” who accompanied the teams throughout the week. The genies took care of community building, creative workshops, and collaboration between the teams. Why genies? Because the team is making wishes come true and creating magical experiences for the participants.
The Genies: Sophie Charrios, Ellie Obermann, Elena Mueller, Peter Supper (clockwise from left)
Their magic gave the individual participants time to reflect and explore new ways of interacting with each other in the projects. For example, the first thing in the morning after breakfast were activities such as movement research, collective breathing in a meditation practice, and/or walks in nature.
Besides the magic for community building, creative workshops allowed the teams to create their vision, reverse some assumptions, give each other feedback, and become aware of team dynamics. This was possible through 2.5-hour workshops every day. Each workshop was held in the community, with a focus on individual projects. For instance, in the first workshop, teams applied the ABCD backcasting on strategic planning for a sustainable future to their projects. This workshop was facilitated by the genies among others throughout the week.
Overall, the genies helped create an atmosphere of community-awareness, creativity, and reflection and spread lots of love, magic, and fun around the camp. These facilitators were invaluable in making the oikos spirit real. Our work together really felt joyful and inspiring as the ideas and the connections they planted within our teams blossomed into great accomplishments. Don’t you want to participate next year to witness the magic of our genies?
Life at Camp
So what was camp 2022 like? Let’s hear it from the participants themselves with this Feedback Video that the participants created for us to give an overview. Also here are a few highlights from our first day together: Highlight Video.
While at the eco-village we got to learn more about the community living there and their work to build new ways of engaging in the community.
It was so nice to have such Great Food, be surrounded by a beautiful river River, commune with Nature, and participate in music and friendship Music
Until Next Year
We hope you have enjoyed learning about the oikos Camp 2022. There are some exciting plans for next year and maybe you would like to be a part of it. Please reach out to us to join the planning team for next year. If you have an idea for a project you want to bring we can find a way to include your work in the Camp. Maybe you are a corporation or foundation looking to support us and we would love to have a conversation with you about supporting us.
We are sad to go but we look forward to next year’s version of Camp.
Thanks to Our Sponsors
The oikos Camp 2022 would have not been possible without the help and support of our generous sponsors.
ESADE sent a team to Camp, provided our bus transportation to and from the eco-village, and were supportive of the efforts of oikos Barcelona in promoting and spreading the impact of the work we do. Curriculum change and transforming education continues to be an important part of the work oikos and ESADE partner on.
Aviva Investors sent the Sustainable Finance Team to camp by providing a travel stipend to the team to cover costs for getting to Barcelona. This mean that a diverse group of students from around the globe could be together and develop sustainable finance resources. Aviva Investors continues to be a great supporter of the work oikos International does for sustainable finance.
Partners for a New Economy (P4NE) provided a large grant that allowed the reservation of the eco-village and covering costs related to organizing the camp. The support P4NE provides to oikos continues to be essential to the work we do as they see our value in empowering student change agents around the globe.
