While Positive Education has grown significantly over the past decade, a recent review (Waters, 2017) found that schools typically introduce positive education through well-being curriculum. Guided by its vision to “inspire flourishing lives to transform our globe”, Ridley College in Canada chose an ecosystem approach to whole school cultural change. In addition to teaching the principles of positive education in the curriculum, Ridley has embedded the values of positive education in talent management systems, leadership, governance, and staff wellness.
Ridley College (co-educational, K-12, day and boarding, IB continuum) embarked upon an ambitious positive education change process starting in 2013 with a strategic plan that places ‘inspiring flourishing lives’ at the heart of the school’s strategic vision.
We will outline the first 5 years of Ridley's positive education journey, our role as North America’s First Visible Wellbeing School in partnership with Professor Lea Waters. We will use Ridley as a case study on how to create positive cultural change by adopting a systems approach with school personnel, school structures, student curriculum and staff professional development. We will showcase the success of our approach and share the practices that attendees can adopt to build flourishing lives for students, staff, faculty and parents.