Regenerative Narratives – What Emerges Beyond the Horizon of Sustainable Development in Education?

The current state of the world clearly indicates the urgent need for profound change, as sustainable development, with its focus on damage reduction, has limited motivational power in addressing climate change. A new conceptual model is evolving, where the emphasis is on positive impacts on ecosystems and communities. This post-anthropocentric regenerative shift is based on a holistic worldview, where humans and their economic actions are an integral part of nature.

Can the evolution of the sustainable development paradigm inspire active hope and motivate action? Does this new narrative not only help us understand reality but also inspire the co-creation of new worlds? This presentation will discuss how regenerative education is understood and how the paradigm of regenerative education is articulated in practice.

The objective is to reconstruct the narrative of the evolution of sustainable development. The discussion will focus on the dynamics of changes occurring within the concept of sustainable development and will present two perspectives – sustainable and regenerative development. Similarities and differences in their descriptions of reality, the role of humans, communities, and place will be examined.

The analysis will include recently published English-language studies, including autoethnographic research documenting the experiences of academic teachers introducing regenerative principles into their educational practices. Additionally, results from qualitative research on narratives developed based on sustainable and regenerative development will be presented, providing the foundation for reflections on the past and present, as well as highlighting future perspectives brought forth by regenerative education.

These two reference points (sustainable and regenerative development) will enable reflection not only on what has already been and what is but also on what lies beyond the horizon of the present, showing visions inspired by the narratives of a regenerative concept. The analysis will also reflect on how these changes may impact communities affected by climate crises.