17/05/2026
From Daydreams to Futures: SPUP Students Explore Possibilities Through Dreams and Disruptions Workshop
On May 14, 2026, a Futures Thinking Workshop entitled “Imagining Tomorrow, Creating Today” was successfully conducted at the Multi-Media Room, St. Paul University Philippines (SPUP), Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. The event was organized through the Paulinian Volunteers for Community Development (PVCD) and gathered student participants from various academic programs and organizations to engage in futures-oriented discussions, collaborative imagination, and anticipatory thinking exercises.
The workshop was led by UNESCO Chair Shermon O. Cruz together with NWU PhilForesight Institute Director Jezreel Larry R. Caunca and the PhilForesight team composed of faculty members Marein Joan Bermudez, Stephanie Jane Bonilla, Krisha Valdez, and John Morpheus Magallanes.
The activity centered on the Dreams and Disruptions Game, a futures literacy tool designed to encourage participants to critically examine emerging trends, disruptions, uncertainties, and preferred futures. Through the game, participants explored possible societal transformations, reflected on the implications of change, and envisioned innovative and regenerative responses to future challenges.
UNESCO Chair Cruz shared that the session with the students as “intimate, fluid, playful, and unexpectedly profound.”
The workshop began with a simple but meaningful question: “What does daydreaming feel like?” Participants described daydreaming as floating beyond the weight of the present, as ambition, desire, satisfaction, emotional reflection, and the rehearsal of future possibilities. What deeply resonated during the session was the way young people perceived ideas that are often considered “wild” or “preposterous.” Rather than dismissing them as unrealistic, participants recognized them as the fragile beginnings of futures that are not yet accepted by the present.
According to Cruz, the session transformed daydreaming from a mere escape into an act of future-making. He emphasized that humanity cannot create a future it has not first imagined. What society may dismiss as delusion today may later become direction, innovation, or transformation tomorrow. He reflected that schools and institutions often teach young people how to think critically, but not always how to imagine courageously. The future, he noted, requires individuals willing to be unreasonable, imaginative, and bold enough to envision possibilities beyond current realities.
As the activity progressed, the workshop evolved beyond the mechanics of the game itself. It became a reflective space where students explored their inner worlds, aspirations, fears, ambitions, and alternative visions of society. These conversations led to deeper reflections on identity, purpose, and what Cruz referred to as the “hero’s heart” — the ability of young people to remain grounded in the realities of the present while still holding on to visions of a better and more hopeful future.
Cruz further highlighted that daydreaming gives young people a sense of self, direction, dignity, and hope. He encouraged participants not to lose sight of the “hero’s heart,” describing it as a heart that beats in the present while the mind remains connected to the future. He concluded by emphasizing that young people are not lacking in imagination; rather, they simply need spaces where their impossible ideas are allowed to breathe, grow, and soar.
The workshop emphasized the importance of futures literacy, systems thinking, creativity, and collaborative foresight in preparing young people to become future-ready and socially responsible leaders. Through collaborative discussions and scenario-building exercises, participants shared insights on education, technology, sustainability, governance, youth leadership, and social transformation, demonstrating critical reflection and openness to multiple futures.
The workshop successfully introduced participants to the foundations of Futures Thinking and anticipatory approaches to leadership and decision-making. More importantly, it created a meaningful space for young people to imagine boldly, reflect deeply, and recognize that the future begins first in the courage to dream.
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