Where do you call home?
Wherever I meet other people with the passion and initiative to make a positive difference. I have never felt a strong belonging to a place, it seems to always be about people for me.
How does education fit into your life?
I’ve always been interested in the impact of education in our lives. I have been spending most of my time working with education for a decade. My main focus is to build the team of adults surrounding the children - giving them the best support to grow - and for children to get the life skills they need to navigate in an increasingly complex world.
What brought you to educational innovation?
I started working with organizations and leadership. I soon saw that the life skills I was teaching people in midlife were possible to give to children and the adults surrounding the children much earlier in life. This, I believe, is key to building resilience and quality of life.
What are your biggest inspirations in educational innovation?
Children are my main source of inspiration. To see how small adjustments can make a big difference, put sparks in their eyes, make people see their own worth, strengths and opportunities. To make it easier for children, teachers and parents to see how they already have the wisdom and resources to create a childhood for life.
What challenges do you see facing the educational system today?
Things are changing too slowly. The challenges we are facing demand a much more agile educational system. We need to give our children days that build empathy for all living beings, resilience, creativity, critical thinking, compassion. The more artificial intelligence we get access to, the more social- and emotional skills it will require to navigate our everyday lives and create a peaceful and sustainable future.
What are your hopes for the future of education?
That we invest more resources where we know the ROI is the best - the early years. That we as a society acknowledge the importance of education and our children's wellbeing. That parents and professionals work together as a team and that we have politicians and leaders who are willing to put children first.
Why did you choose to become a Community Lead?
Since I first discovered HundrED, I felt a sense of connection and belonging to the mission and quality of the work. After meeting the team and many of the innovators in Helsinki in 2023 it was an easy decision for me to apply. I believe the way forward is to enhance collaboration and to empower each other through community building. I believe I have valuable experience and a network that makes me a good fit for this role.
What are your goals as a Community Lead
My goal is to bring people together for increased impact, perhaps even build friendships and to make the work of innovators less lonely. I share the goal of HundrED - to help all children flourish. That is my ultimate goal also with this role.
How can our members get involved?
Feel welcome to contact me, bring in ideas, questions, challenges and initiatives - together we will find a good way forward. Be sure that we all have a lot in common and that this community is generous and helpful.
Connect with Siri and learn more about her innovation, Gleding, which is part of the 2024 Global Collection.
