E25 - Deep Systems Thinking, Agency, and Purposeful Change with Laurence Myers

In this episode of the Blue Skies Leadership Podcast, hosts Daniel Mendes and Dan Kerr sit down with Laurence Myers, an international educational consultant and co-founder of Edvolution Services. Laurence brings over 15 years of experience at top-tier international schools such as the American School of Dubai and the International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL), leading transformative initiatives in service learning, sustainability, and systems leadership. Laurence breaks down how schools can move away from transactional "check-the-box" service projects toward process-based learning that grounds students in empathy, agency, and community impact. • Humanity First in Education: Why a true "Blue Sky" vision for international education must prioritize belonging, care, and relationships over administrative rigidity, ensuring students feel valued so they can add value. • The Case for Dedicated Roles: How full-time service and sustainability roles (rather than stipends or fragmented responsibilities) create systemic leverage and lasting institutional change. • Building Sustainable Change: Strategies for securing administrative buy-in, navigating middle-leadership dynamics, and documenting impact to ensure programs endure after key leaders move on. • Co-Designing Curriculum: Why bringing students and teachers together to design learning pathways creates unexpected breakthroughs in trust, creative agency, and mutual respect. • Systems Thinking in the Age of AI: As generative AI shifts education away from final products and toward process-based learning, tools like systems thinking, collaboration, and empathy become essential competencies for an unpredictable future. "My measure of success is whether you're able to do good for others. Do you have an impact?" — Laurence Myers "When challenges pop up, you work around them. When you hit successes, you celebrate, learn, and repeat." — Danie Mendes "It’s the idea of a student feeling valued, but also adding value—the duality piece of that community connection." — Dan Kerr • Edvolution Services: evolution.services (https://www.google.com/search?q=https...) • Personal Email: laurence.myers8@gmail.com (mailto:laurence.myers8@gmail.com) • The Edvolution Podcast: Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts • Compass Education: Systems Thinking Tools for Educators • Cross-School Collaboration: Sustainable MESAC Initiatives • LinkedIn Profile:   / laurence-myers-3b8b8319   • LinkedIn - Dan Kerr -   / dan-kerr-b0a82520   • LinkedIn - Daniel Mendes -   / mendesd   Key Takeaways & Episode HighlightsKey QuotesMentioned in This EpisodeConnect with the Hosts