News

British Columbia

Nisga’a Nation – Contemplative Systems Awareness Retreat (Dr. Mette Boell)
On April 23, 2026, Dr. Mette Boell closed the Contemplative Systems Awareness retreat in Nisga’a Nation. This work marked an important step in growing compassionate systems in BC. It was the third session the Center for Systems Awareness has convened in Nisga’a, with about 40 participants, including Nisga’a Nation staff, Elders, and school and district staff. Teams from Surrey, Gulf Islands, Delta, and Nechako Lakes school districts joined, along with individuals from BC and Japan.

The beauty and spiritual setting of the Nass Valley reinforced the work. The final day included a visit to Gingolx, where the Nass River meets the ocean at Portland Inlet. Indigenous participants shared powerful reflections on compassionate systems and the importance of contemplative practice, quieting the heart, body, and mind.

We offer our heartfelt thanks to Nisga’a School District, especially Tanya Azak (Director of Instruction), chief organiser of the last two convenings. Thanks also to Superintendent Robert Clifton and Director of Instruction Bryce Recsky for their support. Principal Nooxs Moxs Charity Peal, and students Keegan Kerval (Grade 11) and Nishaya Mercer (UBC), have been steady supporters at Nisga’a Elementary Secondary School. Tanya, Charity, Robert, and Bryce are all Master Practitioners or are completing the programme.

We also thank the Nisga’a Elders and Knowledge Keepers, Merle Morven, Debbie Lynn, Stephanie Crunkhorn, and Bee Grandison, whose voices have deepened the dialogue over the past two years – please see a reflection on their experiences with Compassionate Systems.

Kelowna, BC – Two-Day Workshop (Dr. Peter Senge and Joanne Schroeder) and Three-Day BC Principals’ and Vice-Principals’ Short Course
On June 29–30, Dr. Peter Senge and BC Master Practitioner Joanne Schroeder will lead a two-day workshop in Kelowna for school and district teams across the province. Teams of up to eight can prepare in advance with BC Master Practitioners and will be supported during the workshop by practitioners in attendance.

This reflects our intention to engage more of BC’s 40+ Master Practitioners. A plan is also being developed to support teams to carry the work forward over the coming school year. In many districts, a small group is carrying this work; our hope is that a team-based approach will build momentum, strengthen capacity, and help embed compassionate systems in district plans over time.

Registration closes May 31, 2026. Our thanks to the Central Okanagan School District, and to Lynda Reeve, Assistant Superintendent and Master Practitioner, and Sherri Roche, Master Practitioner in process, for organising and hosting this event. Register Here.

The BC Principals’ and Vice-Principals’ Association will host its annual short course in Kelowna from July 2 to 4, opened by Peter Senge. Facilitation will be shared between BCPVPA staff and BC Master Practitioners: Joanne Schroeder, Kristi Blakeway, Caroline Picard, Monica Martin, and Sylvia Russell.

Add to Your Calendar: Nechako Lakes SD – Foundations 1 plus Optional Contemplative Practice (Dr. Mette Boell; Karie Evans; Leona Prince)
Dr. Mette Boell is planning a three-day Foundations 1 session, with an optional two-day Contemplative Practice mini-retreat, This will be co-facilitated with Karie Evans and Leona Prince to take place in Nechako Lakes School District. Indication of Interest 2026 form

• Extended experience: August 31 to September 4
• Foundations I: August 31 to September 2
• Optional mini-retreat: September 3 and 4

Participants may attend all five days, or for either the Foundations workshop or Mini-retreat individually.

A key part of the Compassionate Systems BC mandate is ensuring access for small, rural, and remote communities. The Center for Systems Awareness shares this goal, and these offerings are making a difference across the province. The programmes in Nisga’a, Kelowna, and Nechako Lakes are designed to expand access.

Compassionate Systems BC has also provided five $5,000 scholarships to support participation from small, rural, and remote districts. We hope to continue this support once our contract with the Ministry of Education and Child Care is confirmed.

Next Steps in BC
As the Compassionate Systems BC board completes its first year, we are pleased to have a strategic plan in place and to have supported a growing number of events. The board aims to be inclusive of all those working to advance compassionate systems in BC, an important part of the province’s Mental Health in Schools strategy.

We are grateful for the support of Mette Boell and Peter Senge, and for the skillful staff at the Center for Systems Awareness. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl continues to advise the board, and her voice remains vital. We hope to host an event soon with Mette and Kim sharing the SEL and Compassionate Systems story in BC education.

Australia

The last few months have been a productive time for the Australian Centre for Systems Awareness. The Executive Advisory group has begun collaboration on strategic planning and the creation of operating procedures, with the aim of establishing the foundations required for growth and development. We are excited about the shared aspirations that have emerged from the process and look forward to inviting the locally-based master practitioners into the process when we re-convene in July to advance the work. Along with this foundational work, the launch of the Australian centre has generated interest from local schools, networks, and organisations, with further expansion of activities and the network anticipated in the year ahead. In particular, we look forward to facilitating a session in an upcoming seminar at the University of Melbourne exploring the emerging connections between Compassionate Systems, Education for Human Flourishing, and the development of complex competencies from the New Metrics Project.

Visit from the IB Board of Governors and Executive

Woodleigh recently had the opportunity to share its compassionate systems approach to IB implementation during a recent visit to the school from the IB Board of Governors and Executive. The visiting team spent time with leaders, teachers, and students touring the classrooms and outdoor learning spaces at the school’s senior campus. The visit featured small breakout sessions showcasing how the approach shapes learning in the Primary and Middle Years Programmes, as well as Woodleigh’s whole school approach to wellbeing. A highlight of the visit was the opportunity to share insight into the school’s pioneering Regenerative Futures Program and the innovative learning precinct that provides its home.

Ventura County Office of Education

This past year, the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) continued its vision for site development from a community of practice to the implementation of “The Awareness Lab.” Designed as an invitation to pause and build systemic awareness, this initiative has moved beyond traditional professional development by centering on connecting staff, and the well-being of the people within the system. Their journey included three virtual sessions and two in-person meetings, providing various touchpoints intentionally paced through the year. The team of Master Practitioners provided time to integrate the Mandala for Systems Change and practical tools like the Ladder of Inference and Creative Tension. VCOE has empowered a growing community of educators and leaders—spanning across Region 8 COEs and multiple local districts—to move from a compliance focus toward a shared aspiration of growth. A highlight of this work was an event on Leading Learning Organizations, where tools like the Four Player Model and Circle of Connectedness were used to bring awareness to our habitual ways and foster collective efficacy. By prioritizing agency, choice, and reflective practice, VCOE is not merely introducing new tools; it is working to create more systemic shifts in organizational culture. Through this work, the county is fostering how leaders carry new patterns of presence and connection back to their teams, ultimately creating an educational environment where people are supported not just to do their work, but to flourish in it.

Tulare County Office of Education

Building on several years of foundational work with compassionate systems tools and frameworks in Tulare County, our site development partnerships have helped the work grow and flourish in new ways. This collaborative journey has enriched how our educators and students show up for one another, fostering greater self-regulation and a shared sense of relational awareness and social responsibility. It has been a special experience to see student voice flourish to the point where students are now confidently teaching these practices to their peers and adults alike. We are excited to have built such strong local capacity, giving us the expertise and momentum to continue fostering this growth independently within our own community.

Japan

The past five years have seen several Compassionate Systems Framework communities of practice flourish throughout Japan. The work has spread through the leadership of Master Practitioners and their engagement in local, private and International schools; research at leading Universities; and through innovative practice of system leaders in business and non-profit organisations. Building off successful systems leadership events in Hakuba and Karuizawa, Yokohama International School hosted Foundations 1 Training in March, 2026. Facilitated by Mette Böll, this bilingual Japanese/English event brought together over 120 participants and nurtured community and capacity building across diverse fields of education, social entrepreneurship, and the business sector. Special thanks to Aki Fukutani, Tomoko Kusamoto, Lisa Tanaka, Ikuho Kochi, Miho Kito and Taryn Berghuis for their continued leadership and support for this work.

The next steps for the Japan network include a deeper focus on connections with students and schools, engagement with parents, and the development of partnerships with local organisations. This will be supported by a further offering of Foundations 1 training in November, 2026, as well as a dedicated Youth training event in February, 2027. Coupled with additional site-based practice, these learning opportunities help to create the conditions in which young people, adults, and the systems they inhabit can flourish.