E25 - Deep Systems Thinking, Agency, and Purposeful Change with Laurence Myers

<p>In this episode of the <em>Blue Skies Leadership Podcast</em>, hosts <strong>Daniel Mendes</strong> and <strong>Dan Kerr</strong> sit down with <strong>Laurence Myers</strong>, an international educational consultant and co-founder of Edvolution Services. Laurence brings over 15 years of experience at top-tier international schools such as the American School of Dubai and the International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL), leading transformative initiatives in service learning, sustainability, and systems leadership.</p><p>Laurence breaks down how schools can move away from transactional &quot;check-the-box&quot; service projects toward process-based learning that grounds students in empathy, agency, and community impact.</p><ul><li><p><strong>Humanity First in Education:</strong> Why a true &quot;Blue Sky&quot; vision for international education must prioritize belonging, care, and relationships over administrative rigidity, ensuring students feel valued so they can add value.</p></li><li><p><strong>The Case for Dedicated Roles:</strong> How full-time service and sustainability roles (rather than stipends or fragmented responsibilities) create systemic leverage and lasting institutional change.</p></li><li><p><strong>Building Sustainable Change:</strong> Strategies for securing administrative buy-in, navigating middle-leadership dynamics, and documenting impact to ensure programs endure after key leaders move on.</p></li><li><p><strong>Co-Designing Curriculum:</strong> Why bringing students and teachers together to design learning pathways creates unexpected breakthroughs in trust, creative agency, and mutual respect.</p></li><li><p><strong>Systems Thinking in the Age of AI:</strong> As generative AI shifts education away from final products and toward process-based learning, tools like systems thinking, collaboration, and empathy become essential competencies for an unpredictable future.</p></li></ul><p><em>&quot;My measure of success is whether you&#39;re able to do good for others. Do you have an impact?&quot;</em></p><p>— <strong>Laurence Myers</strong></p><p><em>&quot;When challenges pop up, you work around them. When you hit successes, you celebrate, learn, and repeat.&quot;</em></p><p>— <strong>Danie Mendes</strong></p><p><em>&quot;It’s the idea of a student feeling valued, but also adding value—the duality piece of that community connection.&quot;</em></p><p>— <strong>Dan Kerr</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Edvolution Services:</strong><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.evolution.services"> <u>evolution.services</u></a></p></li><li><p>Personal Email: <a href="mailto:laurence.myers8@gmail.com"><u>laurence.myers8@gmail.com</u></a></p></li><li><p><strong>The Edvolution Podcast:</strong> Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts</p></li><li><p><strong>Compass Education:</strong> Systems Thinking Tools for Educators</p></li><li><p><strong>Cross-School Collaboration:</strong> Sustainable MESAC Initiatives</p></li><li><p><strong>LinkedIn Profile: </strong><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurence-myers-3b8b8319/"><strong>https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurence-myers-3b8b8319/</strong></a></p></li></ul><ul><li><p><strong>LinkedIn - Dan Kerr</strong> - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-kerr-b0a82520/</p></li><li><p><strong>LinkedIn - Daniel Mendes -</strong> https://www.linkedin.com/in/mendesd/</p></li></ul><p><strong>Key Takeaways &amp; Episode HighlightsKey QuotesMentioned in This EpisodeConnect with the Hosts</strong></p>