Orenda Learning

20/08/2026

We enjoyed hosting a student from Kellett School this summer for a Youth Sustainability Engagement Placement 🌱 🌏

Check out this brilliant article published on our website, written entirely by our student placement volunteer Austin. In his article, The Seedling in the Garden: My Youth Sustainability Engagement Placement with Orenda Learning, he reflects on his firsthand experience at Orenda Learning. He’d be delighted for you to check it out! Head over to our website to read the inspiring perspectives of this youth changemaker.

Thank you everyone, for reading this article. I am Austin, a Youth Sustainability Engagement Volunteer at Orenda Learning.

13/07/2026

Our Youth Sustainability Engagement Volunteer from Kellett School in Hong Kong is currently working on his Climate Change Fact File, an informative but accessible guide on the causes, impacts and individual solutions of climate change. The Fact File, as well as the survey, are both aimed at teenagers aged 11-18. Please fill in the survey by Thursday 12:00pm (HKT) to let us know your views on the issue.
[Photo credit: South China Morning Post, 2026]

13/07/2026

Calling all young climate champions! 🌱

We are currently working on something exciting: a Climate Change Fact File created by young people, for young people.

Our Youth Sustainability Engagement Volunteer and TASS Ambassador from Kellett School in Hong Kong, is diving into climate literacy for 11–18 year olds. He’s put together a short survey to learn more about what the youth think about climate change and how we can make climate education more accessible.

If you’re between 11–18, he’d love for you to take 2 minutes to fill it out. Your voice matters, and your answers will help shape resources that actually resonate with young people like you!

Parents, teachers, and guardians: If you know a young person in this age group, please share this survey with them! Let’s work together to empower the next generation with the knowledge they need to take action. 💚

Take the survey here: https://forms.gle/AUuBa1ekx1igYHmL9
n.b. The survey closes on Thursday 12:00pm (HKT).

19/06/2026

🌟 Reflecting on an amazing academic year! 🌟

As the school year wraps up for some, we want to say a huge thank you to our incredible community of educators, students, and partners. Your dedication inspires us every single day.

While classrooms may be emptying for break, things are just heating up at Orenda Learning! We have a busy, exciting summer ahead as we dive deep into developing our Be The Change Middle School program.

We cannot wait to share what we are working on to inspire the next generation of changemakers. Wishing everyone a safe, restful, and rejuvenating summer break! Stay tuned for updates on our summer progress.

27/05/2026

💡 Did you see our recent feature on what happens when learning moves from theory to practice?

We shared the incredible story of a cohort of Grade 9 students at the AUPP Liger Leadership Academy in Cambodia who used our Be The Change framework to tackle a critical real-world problem.

When a vital local youth hub, Spean Chivit (Life Bridge), was at risk of closing due to lost funding, these students didn't just organise a quick, one-off bake sale. Instead, they took a systems-thinking approach:

🚌 Organised a 6-hour bus trip to Siem Reap to meet the community.
🏨 Pitched a bold, corporate partnership idea directly to 5-star hotel managers.
🏛️ Visited the Ministry of Interior to research official NGO registration pathways.

This project beautifully shows the power of true reciprocity...where students build future-ready skills, local businesses gain value, and a grassroots organisation gets support to secure it's future.

👉 Catch up on the full case study here:

Explore how Inspiring Community Action shapes students through GEMS Wellington Qatar's partnership with Orenda Learning.

13/05/2026

Are you on LinkedIn? If you are check out our latest edition of the Pathways to Purpose newsletter, where we dive into collaborative spirit and share some major milestones:

🌟 The Next Chapter: We are officially moving ahead with Be The Change (BTC) Middle School (Ages 11–14) for the 2026/27 academic year! Built on proven pedagogy and inclusive UDL design, this digital-first curriculum brings turnkey, project-based community engagement into the middle years.

🌏 In the Press: Check out our feature article in the Spring edition of the EARCOS Triannual Journal.

🪵 Deep Dive: Little Planet's latest thought piece exploring 'The Power of Place' and why long-term community partnerships are vital.

💡 Changemaker Tip: A 20-minute Impact Reflection to help your students turn their end of year wrap-up into a celebration of agency.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/network-support-orenda-learning-ztirc

07/05/2026

We are honoured to be featured in the Spring edition of the East Asia Regional Council of Schools Triannual Journal! 📖✨ Following our workshop with Meredith Robinson at the EARCOS Teachers Conference 2026, we were invited to contribute an article diving into our session's theme. In it, we explore the journey of transforming the human heart, including a special highlight on the incredible community based project which Be The Change students at AUPP Liger Leadership Academy undertook with Spean Chivit (Life Bridge) in Siem Reap.

Flip to pages 48–50 to read "The Heart of Change: Connecting Community Engagement and Service Learning with Inner Development".

Thank you, Meredith Robinson, for the brilliant collaboration! 🤝🌍

https://issuu.com/earcosorg/docs/et_journal_spring_issue_2026

29/04/2026

We were thrilled to be able to contribute to this TES article on Community Engagement: "The Path of Principled Action" by Meredith Robinson, Kathryn Berkman and Megan Vosk.

""Principled" is one of the terms in the IB Learner Profile. Being principled means “acting with integrity and honesty, a strong sense of fairness and justice, and taking responsibility for one's actions and their consequences” (owis.org)." (The Path of Principled Action, 2026).

This article is packed with inspiration, including insights from our founder, Alice Whitehead, on what principled action looks like in practice.

Check it out to learn more! 🌟

https://www.tieonline.com/article/8016/the-path-of-principled-action?nid=104

When students apply their learning through a principled lens, they stop seeing the community as a project and start seeing it as a partner they are working with

16/04/2026

Is Earth Day a moment or a movement?

At Orenda Learning, we love the energy of hashtag . It’s a powerful global reminder to unite for our planet. But for our young changemakers, the real magic happens in the ‘Earthlife’ that follows.

What’s the difference?

Earth Day is the spark. It’s the day we advocate, educate, and mobilise. It’s the day we get inspired and take action that is symbolic of something bigger.

Earthlife is the fire. Inspired by the Iroquois word Orenda, the vital spirit in all things, it’s the intrinsic motivation that gets us up every morning to lead change. It’s not a one-off event; it’s a lifelong commitment to active citizenship.

Our Be The Change program equips youth (ages 14–18) to turn Earth Day inspiration into an "Earthlife" reality. We don't just teach sustainability; we empower students to design and launch projects that create tangible impact in their communities 365 days a year.

This Earth Day, don’t just take an action. Start a lifestyle.

🌱 Schools & Educators: How are you helping your students move from a day of awareness to a lifetime of agency?

Let’s build a future where every day is Earth Day.

Learn more about Be The Change here: www.orendalearning.com

09/04/2026

You don't need a cape to save the planet. You just need a toolkit.

Sometimes "Climate Change" feels too big. But Local Impact is exactly where you have the most power.

The Stats: Did you know that youth-led local water conservation projects in 2025 saved millions of liters? Small moves = Massive waves. 🌊

The Action: This week, identify one "leak" in your community’s sustainability. Is it food waste in the cafeteria? Unnecessary plastic in the local shop?

The BTC link: This is your Investigation phase. Get the data before you take the action.