We take a look at some of the incredible women changing the face of education in NZ working across The Mind Lab and Tech Futures Lab.
THE MIND LAB
Frances Valintine
CEO and Founder
Describe your role.
My key role is looking for indicators of change and influence and utilising new knowledge and resources to help inform education and industry to prepare for the changing requirements of business.
Why do you believe education needs to change?
Because the world has changed and the way we work has changed. Knowledge and understanding has advanced significantly so we need to be able to learn much more as we go and be informed by new information. We have new economic models that we have to understand. Current education is constrained as it was designed to get people a job for life. So education needs to change to ensure people can constantly evolve. The model of education hasn’t kept up so people are reluctant to get back into learning as it’s seen as too big of a commitment; it takes too long and it’s too disconnected from the real world.
How is what you’re doing at The Mind Lab changing it?
By normalising lifelong learning and having people at all stages of their lives getting into education. We’re making education accessible with content embedded in contemporary knowledge. Our economic future needs senior people with contemporary knowledge. We can’t just rely on the next generation, we need the combination of experience and knowledge. People are always saying they can’t learn as they can’t afford to stop working, because they’re used to the traditional way of learning. What we’re doing here means people don’t have to. Learning alongside your career is even more powerful. It’s the only way to keep our country moving.
Fee Webby
General Manager
Describe your role.
My role is to implement the strategy across the organisation. I work closely with our CEO Frances and an incredible team across Aotearoa to bring this strategy to life which changes regularly as we live in an ever changing world.
Why do you believe education needs to change?
Ever since the internet was created, a raft of opportunities opened up and the world changed. We need new skills, knowledge, confidence and capability to broaden hearts and minds to not only cope with this rapid change, but also to embrace and lead us into the future. We need people with growth mindsets who can tackle big problems as the world comes up against larger social, economic, environmental challenges. We need people who can be creative, innovative, problem solve and be resilient when things don’t work. Above all, we need people to keep flexing their brain muscles to help tackle the big challenges ahead of us.
How is what you’re doing changing it?
At The Mind Lab and Tech Futures Lab, incredible human beings walk through our doors every day. They have taken a step towards upskilling and often put themselves back into education after being out of it for 30 years. These are people who are curious about their untapped potential and how they can find their learning edge. We get to support these people and provide a safe learning environment for those willing to trust us. What we see is incredible personal and professional growth as these people realise there is so much that they can do in the world to implement change, whether they are in schools, corporates, start-ups, own businesses, iwi, government, not-for-profit, charities, you name it.
Saskia Verraes
Programme Lead for Leading Change for Good and Innovation Advisor
Why do you believe education needs to change?
How can we expect society to change if we do not give people the opportunity to learn how to change the world and deal with the uncertainty that is coming at us? The current educational system is a legacy system that needs a complete redesign based on our future needs.
How is what you’re doing changing it?
We teach people to be confident to live and lead through uncertainty, with purpose first, to find their values, to become aware of the systems we operate in and the lenses we apply. We bring together a wave of change makers from cross-industry, disciplines, generations and cultures who go back to their communities and organisations to lead and create action towards a more inclusive, equal and regenerative world.
Te Mihinga Komene
Pou Ārahi
Describe your role.
I provide academic and pastoral care support primarily for Māori and Pacific students with their learning journey, aligned with our mātāpono of Te Ara Kōtihi, to ensure their experience is positive.
Why do you believe education needs to change?
Māori medium education is leading our way for the success of Māori students but only a tiny percentage, around 1%, of our tamariki and their whānau are enrolled in it. A lot of our current schooling systems need to use the success of Māori medium education and implement them in their settings. There has been untold research on the success of programmes like Te Kotahitanga, so why aren’t whitestream schools taking up this opportunity if they know it works? Education in Aotearoa needs to change.
How is what you’re doing changing it?
By advising master’s students with their projects around equity in education, social justice, leadership and collaboration. Through those aspects we can implement change. It’s about growing an awareness, highlighting the issues, the unfairness and ongoing negative impacts of a colonised education system. A lot of teachers and community leaders doing our programmes want to make that change. We’re here to help facilitate them.
Learning alongside your career is even more powerful. It’s the only way to keep our country moving.
Yuka Gray
Programme Coordinator
Why did you choose to work here?
I was working in the tech industry in Tokyo, and when I came back to New Zealand, I wanted to pivot towards education. I first came to NZ as an international student and my education led to an international career in global tech companies, including mobile gaming and Amazon Alexa. I feel Tech Futures Lab offers amazing programmes to help NZ businesses to become tech savvy and do things differently.
Why do you believe education needs to change?
Education is something New Zealand generally does well, but as the world changes around them, people are seeking different ways to thrive.
How is what you’re doing changing it?
In my role, I help connect candidates with inspirational speakers and advisors to implement their project ideas.
Maheshi Wadasinghe
Programme Lead — Postgraduate Studies
Why do you believe education needs to change?
Coming from a university training background, I see the failures of the ‘traditional’ way of teaching and learning. Education needs to be inclusive, it needs to encourage and inspire learners to reach their full potential, whatever that potential may be. Understanding different learning styles and needs is core to ensuring equitable outcomes for all.
How is what you’re doing changing it?
We try to break these traditions and barriers by putting the learner and their potential to create impact at the centre of everything we do — from programme design to pastoral care. As a private tertiary institution we are disrupting the status quo of teaching and learning. It’s a more inclusive approach and our learners clearly benefit from an experiential, practice based learning approach. Real world outcomes are what we strive for, not a degree certificate on the wall.
Real world outcomes are what we strive for, not a degree certificate on the wall.
Fuatino Peilua
National Academic Registrar
Why do you believe education needs to change?
Global change means we need to be future focused to keep with the advance of technologies and new developments in research. We must adapt to new ideas to meet the needs of educational change.
How is what you’re doing changing it?
I always put our students at the heart of everything I do. Being Pasifika, I have the cultural awareness to help students take on new challenges and opportunities within the workplace so they never stop learning!
Why did you choose to work here?
What drew me to the role here was what The Mind Lab are doing to change education. I maintain all student data and I also help offer Māori and Pacific support.
Shruti Patil
Student Enrolment and Finance Manager
Why do you believe education needs to change?
It needs to be more practical. I come from India where education is not practical at all. The world around is changing quite rapidly and to keep up, education systems need to change. Covid has offered a glimpse of it.
How is what you’re doing changing it?
I look after students from the moment they start their enrolment process with us, all the way through their programmes, making sure they have all the information they need. Keeping our learners at the centre of everything we do, and understanding that their success is our success, is a key part of what we do here. The programme, the delivery, the content that The Mind Lab is offering is uniquely practical. The teachers, for example, when they graduate they can see the difference. The Mind Lab has a vision in the right direction!
