Discover how Stromberg Gymnasium became a future-ready community by transforming teachers into mentors and adopting a human-centered approach that embraces innovation and adaptability.
Future Skills Transformation
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Context
Stromberg Gymnasium, a public school in Germany, traditionally focused on academics. However, school leaders recognized that a knowledge-based approach was no longer enough and shifted to equipping learners with skills, autonomy, and a mindset for the future.
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Need
School leadership recognized growing disengagement and the limits of traditional teaching. They aimed to shift to a human-centered, learner-driven approach but needed a clear strategy, support, and buy-in from both teachers and students.
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Learning Journey
In 2022 the school director and 20 learners visited a Barcelona school focused on learner agency. Inspired by the experience, they returned to Germany ready to implement change, launching a multi-year collaboration with key milestones.
✺ The Learning Journey Steps ✺
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We co-designed with a group of learners and teachers an initial program for a 6-months in grade 10 developing projects on the SDGs of the UN, focusing on empowering students to take ownership of their learning, shifting the role of teachers from instructors to facilitators and mentors.
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Two teachers were sent to Barcelona for immersive learning, returning with insights on learner-driven education and practical applications for their own classrooms.
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Building on the initial lab, we refined the approach by introducing frameworks for the coaching conversations and "learning to learn" strategies, ensuring that students developed the meta cognition necessary for lifelong learning.
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Five teachers spent a week in Barcelona, observing the school in the mornings and engaging in afternoon workshops with me, contextualizing their learnings and shaping new strategies. We identified what is already taking place at the school and how can we create a wholistic journey for the learners.
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The journey culminated in a week-long, hands-on design sprint at Stromberg Gymnasium. Together with 12 learners and three educators, we conducted 60 interviews (10% of the school community), using Design Thinking to answer a critical question: "How can we create a holistic learning journey from Grade 5 to Grade 12 that integrates head, hand, and heart?"
This transformation has not only reignited the joy of learning but has positioned Stromberg Gymnasium as a leader in progressive education within the German public school system.
This journey is not just about rethinking education—it is about building a school where learners, teachers, and leaders feel alive, engaged, and empowered to shape the future together.
Learners take an active role in shaping their education, developing agency and real-world competencies.
Teachers have shifted into mentorship and coaching roles, guiding rather than dictating learning experiences.
The school as a whole has adopted a more human-centered, dynamic approach, embracing innovation and adaptability.
The Results
Project Timeline
10.2022 | Learner & Leadership Immersion in Barcelona – 20 learners and 2 school leaders experienced a learner-driven environment firsthand, sparking inspiration for change.
01.2023 | Future Skills Lab Development – Co-designed a framework to foster learner agency and develop a competency-based learning approach through project-based learning & deeper learning on the SDGs.
11.2023 | Teacher Immersion in Barcelona – Two educators explored innovative practices and brought insights back to the school to refine their teaching strategies.
03.2024 | Future Skills 2.0 – Iterated and expanded the program, restructuring individual and group coaching conversations and enhancing “learning to learn” strategies for deeper student engagement.
11.2024 | Leadership Deep Dive in Barcelona – Five teachers observed and contextualized progressive education methodologies and initiated the conversation on creating a holistic learning journey.
02.2025 | In-School Co-Creation Sprint – Engaged 12 learners and 3 educators in a design thinking process, conducting 60 interviews to co-create a holistic learning journey from Grade 5 to 12.
Behind the scenes
*German version only, English subtitles will come soon
“In our school development, in particular, your blend of empathy, analysis, and strategy is incredibly helpful. The way you balance heart and mind is truly exceptional.
It’s fantastic how we seamlessly switch between the meta level—with all the leadership topics that primarily concern me—and the practical operational level, where teachers need to be engaged.
You have an incredible ability to not only think your way into an organization, but also to deeply feel and understand it. At the same time, you develop a framework that is perfectly tailored to the needs of the organization. That’s something I find truly impressive.”