WHAT WE DO

Learn more about the programs and projects of the Center for Systems Awareness and join our community of systems change leaders. 

CENTER PROGRAMS 2025-2026

At the Center for Systems Awareness, we have a strong emphasis on capacity building to support learning and development for very diverse groups of people to become compassionate systems practitioners and leaders.

We host open introductory workshops for those who are interested to start working with a systems awareness orientation. We also run longer term, broad-scale change projects where capacity building is an integrated aspect of our support and commitment.

Foundations I

(Offered in collaboration with local partners)

For a list of additional Foundations I workshops planned for 2025, please view our Indication of Interest form. Kindly submit the form to receive more information as it becomes available.
Indication of Interest form
Application is Open!
In-person only
May 15-17, 2025 
Location: St. Stephen’s Girls' College | 2 Lyttelton Road, Hong Kong
Facilitated by Peter Senge (in-person), Mette Boell (virtual) & more
Registration is Open!
In-person only
June 16-18, 2025 
Location: 7000 W. Doe Ave, Visalia, CA (Tulare County Office of Education)
Facilitated by Mette Boell (in-person), Peter Senge (virtual) & more
Registration is Open!
In-person (Facilitated in Danish only)
August 11-13, 2025 
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Facilitated by Mette Boell & Gus Boell
Save the Dates!
In-person only

Foundations I - Introduction to Compassionate Systems Framework in Bangkok, Thailand

August 18-20, 2025 
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Facilitated by Mette Boell & Gus Boell
Indication of Interest form

Master Class Sessions

(Sessions open to everyone)

Registration is Open!
Fully Virtual
June 4 - September 24, 2025
Facilitated by Mette Boell

Foundations II

Available to alumni of Foundations I or community members with previous experience of the Compassionate Systems Framework (see below)

Foundations II Series -  A new series of advanced workshops, providing opportunities for practitioners to deepen their knowledge in key concepts and skills. Read more about our Foundations II series here.
  • Foundations II for Systems Change – a practical deep dive into Compassionate Systems tools and practices in education and workplace contexts.
  • Foundations II for Systems Awareness – a focused opportunity to practice cultivating somatic and relational awareness, to work intentionally to grow our quality of attention, presence, aspiration, grounding and compassion.
Registration is now open!
Fully Virtual
 Dates: May 27-29, 2025
Location: Zoom
Facilitated by Mette Boell, Peter Senge, and the Center for Systems Awareness facilitators
Eligibility: Alumni of the Foundations I Introductory Workshop OR community members who have participated in a local equivalent of an introductory workshop led by Master Practitioners
Coming Soon
Fully Virtual

Foundations II for Systems Change
(North America Time zone)

 Dates: December 2-4, 2025
Location: Zoom
Facilitated by Mette Boell, Peter Senge, and the Center for Systems Awareness facilitators
Eligibility: Alumni of the Foundations I Introductory Workshop OR community members who have participated in a local equivalent of an introductory workshop led by Master Practitioners
Indication of Interest form
Registration is now open!
In-person
Dates: May 28-30, 2025
Location: Nisga'a Nation, Canada
Facilitated by Mette Boell, Charity Peal, and Sylvia Russell
Eligibility: Alumni of the Foundations I Introductory Workshop OR community members who have participated in a local equivalent of an introductory workshop led by Master Practitioners

Advanced

Applications open to alumni of Foundations I and community members with previous experience (see below for details)

Early Bird by June 15!
Prerequisite
A year long blended program with monthly virtual convenings plus one week-long in-person retreat.
Facilitated by Mette Boell & Peter Senge
Eligibility: Foundations I workshop alumni OR community members who have participated in a local equivalent led by a Master Practitioner and have attended the Master Class series

Advanced

(Available to Certified Master Practitioners)

Prerequisite
Blended program with multiple virtual convenings plus one week-long, in-person retreat.
Faculty: Mette Miriam Boell, & Roger Burton
Dates TBA
Indication of Interest form

PROJECTS

Over the past decade, a gradual approach to "compassionate systems change" has started to gain momentum – first and foremost in educational systems – in many different places in the world. 

The Compassionate Systems Framework has been trialed and tested in diverse educational settings, across all spectrums of hierarchies – from students and teachers, principals, district-level leaders, ministry leadership, community-based organizations, out-of-school learning as well as with boards, parents, and communities - in different countries and cultures.

Below are some overviews of the various types of projects and initiatives that the Center for Systems Awareness is involved with. 

For more information on how we partner, contact info@systemsawareness.org. 

"It is our aspiration with this work that people feel not only better equipped to tackle challenging, complex issues in their personal and professional lives, but also a greater sense of connectedness and belonging, an overall increase in experience of well-being and meaning in life."

-Dr. Mette Miriam Boell

RESEARCH

 

Over the past years, we have been prototyping systems awareness initiatives in multiple settings. We are continuously designing more substantial pilots and projects based on the findings of these prototypes.

In 2021, the MIT Systems Awareness Lab was launched, led by Dr. Mette Miriam Boell, Dr. Peter Senge, and Dr. Eric Klopfer.  The Lab represents a community of researchers and practitioners dedicated to the rigorous, scientific study of long-term, transformative, and ongoing “systems change in the making.”  

We are interested in developing a systems awareness methodology, an approach to understand better what change processes actually work for people and also to understand what it takes for these changes to stick, and to become self-sustaining over time.

Visit the MIT Systems Awareness Lab website for more on research on systems awareness and our ongoing compassionate systems work.