Today’s young learners are growing up in the fastest-changing period in human history and will inherit an uncertain and climate-challenged world.

They will have jobs that don’t yet exist.

Many are disconnected from nature. Yet they are ill-equipped to take on these challenges and thrive without a radical change in the way they learn.

Their teachers are overworked and under-resourced; many suffer from stress and burnout; few know how to ‘teach the future’ (or have the resources to do so) and a growing number plan to leave the profession.

The pandemic only served to shed light on, and exacerbate, this problem. With a mission inspired by Wales’ Wellbeing of Future Generations Act and its groundbreaking new curriculum, and aligned to the UN Global Goals, Cymbrogi believes that we need to equip today’s teachers and learners with the knowledge, skills and mindsets they need to thrive in tomorrow’s world: sustainable learning for a sustainable future.

Big Change funded Cymbrogi to deliver the pilot stage of their "Cymbrogi Futures" programme; designing unique learning journeys for both educators and young people to empower them to take on their futures with confidence.

Their suite of programmes includes both online and residential programmes (hosted on their natural site) focused on their ‘Core Four’: sustainable and circular futures, wellbeing, creative skills and collaborative learning.

We supported three core programmes, initially in Wales, for teachers, young learners (8-11 year olds) and ‘tomorrow’s change-makers’ (12-16 year olds), with eventual plans to scale UK-wide.

Cymbrogi have since expanded their range of programmes and inset days, and have developed strategic partnerships with a range of organisations across Wales and beyond. Each year they curate "Darwin's Den" at the Big Retreat festival, where they celebrate changemakers and changemaking in a climate-challenged world through workshops, conversations, and creative storytelling.

Liza Lort-Phillips has 20 years experience in global sustainability with business, non-profit and social enterprise sectors, many at board level. She has lived and worked in China, Africa and Latin America. A farmer’s daughter from West Wales, she has a strong connection to natural ecosystems and the importance of nature in how we learn. She’s also a volunteer mentor for educational charity Refugee Support Network.

Inspired by Wales’ groundbreaking Wellbeing of Future Generations Act and new curriculum, and guided by the UN Global Goals, she founded Cymbrogi Futures.