I just read through 19 essays, written by students in our Worldview Journey Program, and it blew my mind! At one point I was even in tears. Really, I’m not exaggerating.
As an educator it’s sometimes hard to tell how our teaching impact students. This time was particularly challenging because of disrupted logistics, hick-ups with technology, and students in different European cities. Participation surely seemed suboptimal at times.
But then reading these essays – in which students reflect on how the Journey impacted them – I get the confirmation (again) that this program works and does what it aspires to do! When students are open (willingness is the secret ingredient here), they clearly receive great value from it.
Personal benefits & professional capabilities
This includes personal benefits, like for mental health, enhanced connections with peers, a strengthened connection with nature, and a greater sense of purpose and meaning. It also includes the development of professional capabilities, like high quality listening, critical thinking, self-reflection and self-insight, openness to other perspectives, and skills of communication and collaboration.
Reading these essays I’m also moved by the willingness, the sincere self-reflections, the wonderful intentions, the desire to grow and learn, and the care and concern for other beings and nature, that these students display. It kinda restores my faith in humanity (which I really need at times!).
These essays also offer us new research data on the program as a whole in its improved form, including the Worldview Interview that students conduct with one another, and the Existential Nature Walk, a guided walk in nature that supports listeners to reflect on their relationship to nature.
In the words of students…
I’ll offer some quotes to give you a flavour:
What I didn’t anticipate was how deeply introspective this process would be […] The programme […] prompted profound shifts in how I see myself, others, and our shared planetary challenges.
It was very illuminating to have deep conversations with my classmates about our values and goals. [… this] helped us get to know each other, and also had a mirroring effect, allowing me to learn more about myself.
A particularly impactful activity was also the nature walk. [It] really made me reflect on my relationship with nature […] reminding me how nature shapes us in ways we often tend to overlook.
I feel immense gratitude […] this experience has equipped me with insights that bring a greater sense of purpose and connection to my journey ahead.
The practice of examining my own assumptions and engaging with others’ perspectives has made me a more thoughtful and empathetic communicator, skills that are already enhancing my […] work.
I learned to approach sustainability not merely as a technical or policy-driven challenge but as a relational and systemic endeavour.
Reflecting on this journey, I’m grateful for this self-exploration […] I now realize how little time I gave myself to reflect […] Something I aim to try and implement more in my daily life, by trying to journal more.
The student that got me in tears shared about a dear uncle having passed away, explaining how the Journey inspired her to let nature help her process her grief:
The first couple of days after his passing, I was tempted to just stay in bed and scroll mindlessly through social media […] Whenever I would catch myself in this negative spiral, I was reminded of the nature walk, and how refreshed I felt after that. I would then force myself to go outside. […] Just the act of walking and being outside made me feel more in touch with my own feelings, but also made me feel connected to my uncle.
I think this touched me because developing the Walk really brought home for me how much support we humans can draw from nature, if we just connect to it.
Other students spoke of how the Journey strengthened their sense of purpose. One student talked about how a conversation helped her overcome her fear of death and develop a more positive understanding of it. And many students spoke about how they see the skills they develop in this program as essential to the grand challenges of today’s world.
That these impacts are so broad is explained, I think, by the existential, universal orientation of this program.
The facilitator training
Anyway, all of this is to pique your interest to experience this program yourself!
If you’re intrigued, you may want to consider participating in our upcoming facilitator training which will run online from March 27th till July 1st 2025.
This training will lead you through the Worldview Journey, offering you the space to explore, exchange, and expand your worldview, while also providing you with the knowledge and skills needed to start using (parts of) this program in your own personal or professional context.
