The beauty of teaching is that we do more than impart knowledge – we are part of a young person’s life story.
And in our work at humanutopia, we’ve seen first-hand how emotional intelligence can rewrite these stories in the most extraordinary ways.
Over the years, we’ve worked with more than half a million young people across over 1,000 schools in seven countries, and their tales of transformation form the heart of our journey.
Our ‘Who am I?’ programme has been the catalyst for many such transformations. We’ve designed it around the five key strands of emotional intelligence – understanding feelings, managing feelings, self-motivation, empathy, and handling relationships. And through this design, we’ve witnessed profound shifts in the hearts and minds of countless students.
Take a step with us, and let’s walk through a day with humanutopia
As students file into the assembly hall, they’re greeted with an atmosphere of fun and trust, the kind that paves the way for a day of self-discovery and understanding. Our unique approach begins with ‘Who has had their bin filled?’ – a powerful session designed to engage students in the process of shedding negative labels and reclaiming their self-image.
One such moment unfolded when a 13-year-old girl stood at the front, tears streaming down her face.
The entire hall watched as we handed her the microphone and she shared her heart-wrenching story of being bullied because she spent her after-school hours caring for her terminally ill mother rather than socialising on social media.
Her words hung heavily in the silent room, striking a chord of empathy among her peers.
Such confessions, so personal and yet universally understood, have the power to break barriers. And indeed, the barriers crumbled when a boy rose from his seat at the back of the hall, walked over to the crying girl, and simply hugged her. That one act of empathy became a beacon of understanding and compassion among the students.
But our programme doesn’t just stop at understanding feelings; it encourages empathy and responsibility, too. We’ve seen students bravely owning up to their behaviour, expressing regret, and promising to change. Like the male student who, upon hearing the teary-eyed confession of a classmate bullied for his poor eyesight, stood up and publicly apologised, creating a ripple of respect across the room.
Finally, as the day draws to a close, we invite the students to the ‘Dream Chair’, where they are encouraged to share their dreams and aspirations, to visualise their future paths. Often, this is the turning point for many. Like the once-troubled boy on the brink of expulsion who, after sitting in the Dream Chair, chose to change his trajectory and went on to become a respected head-of-year.
Here at humanutopia, we are so humble and extremely honoured to facilitate these journeys of transformation, and we invite you, as educators, to join us in this rewarding work. For in nurturing emotional intelligence, we are not merely teaching – we are changing lives, one story at a time.
