Are you ready to dance with complex systems – the ones that are inextricably woven into our everyday lives? Discover what it means to be a systems thinker, so you can more effectively engage in your communities, your work, and your future. Inspired by the timeless, ground-breaking work of Donella (Dana) Meadows, this online learning journey is a doorway to a new understanding of the systems that govern our lives, and how to spark deep, sustainable transformation. 

Discover a new way to see your world through Donella Meadows’ legacy of systems thinking

Hosted by systems practitioners Carrie Norton and Marta Ceroni, this six month course features the inspiring work of Fellow Travelers from across a variety of fields, all practicing from a systems lens. You’ll be guided through an immersive learning journey, designed to shift the way you think about our world’s systems. 

At the end of your learning journey, you’ll have new ways to embed systems thinking into your own personal and professional experience – all while receiving a certification from the Academy for Systems Change. 

20% of all course fees are dedicated to enhancing and supporting the Donella Meadows archives, ensuring this valuable resource remains easily accessible to the public.

Course Overview

Join leaders in systems thinking for an engaging six month learning experience, that includes:

• Live sessions with renowned speakers

• Interactive practice and reflection sessions 

• Optional group coaching sessions 

• Access to a curated library of resources from the Donella Meadows’ archives

• Practical, real-world applications of systems thinking for your chosen area(s) of inquiry

• Actionable templates, frameworks, and tools for applying systems thinking 

Join Us on this Learning Journey

This course is ideal for:

• Change makers and social innovators

• Life-long learners who are “systems curious”

• Sustainability professionals

• Policy makers and advocates

• Business leaders and consultants

• Anyone seeking to create change through a systems approach

Time Commitment

This program is six months long and runs from May through November 2025 with a break in August. Each month includes:

• 60-minute featured speaker session

• 60-minute practice & reflection session

• Optional 60-minute every-other-week group coaching 

• Flexible self-paced learning modules

Participants are expected to attend at least five out of six guest speaker sessions and five out of six practice & reflection sessions, participating actively in the course in good faith in order to receive a Certificate of Completion.

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Module 1: Systemic Perspectives in Truth Telling

With Katy Shields. Discover the groundbreaking story behind Donella Meadows seminal work “The Limits to Growth.”  Explore fundamental systems concepts that will transform your perspective on the complex challenges we are living through today.

• Speaker Session on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern Time
• Group practice & reflection session on Thursday May 22, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern Time

Module 2: Systems Thinking for Ethical Economies

With Kate Raworth . Dive into Doughnut Economics with renowned author Kate Raworth. Gain systems insights and reimagine how our economies can better fit life on Earth. Learn about the key approaches to economic transformation, guided by a leading thinker in ecological economics.

• Speaker Session on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern Time
• Group practice & reflection session on Thursday, June, 19 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern Time

Module 3: Leverage Points for Change

With Hunter Lovins. Master the art of dancing with systems by diving into Dana Meadows’ influential framework for systems transformation. Strengthen your strategic orientation by identifying places of power in a system where you can engage for change.

• Speaker Session on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern Time
• Group practice & reflection session on Thursday, July, 17, 2025,  12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern Time

Module 4: Bioregional Thinking & Practice

With Isabel Carlisle & Bill Baue.  Explore place-based systems thinking at the regional level.  Learn about bioregional approaches and context-based sustainability metrics to support the work being done at the ground-level of your community.

• Speaker Session on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern Time
• Group practice & reflection session on Thursday, September, 18, 2025,  12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern Time

Module 5: Trauma-Informed Systems Thinking

With lorilei w. Explore real-world, practical applications of systems thinking that acknowledge lived experiences and traumas that shape systems. Incorporate trauma-informed approaches to transform your work and create meaningful change.

• Speaker Session on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern Time
• Group practice & reflection session on Thursday, October 23, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern Time

Module 6: Envisioning  Desirable Futures

With Yoav Egozi and Hamutal Blanc of the Heschel Center. Develop a powerful vision for the systems that affect your life and beyond. Envision desirable  futures and nourish a hope-filled orientation – shaping your path forward.

• Speaker Session on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern Time
• Group practice & reflection session on Thursday, November, 20, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern Time

What You Can Expect

The six-month learning journey starts with our first session on May 21, 2025 and ends with the last session on Nov 20, 2025(with a break in August). Each month we will meet with a different guest speaker who is extending, deepening, and contextualizing Dana’s work in practical and uplifting ways. We will then reconvene the following day at the same time to further unpack and apply some of the core insights to our respective lives, professions, and communities. 

Optional Group Coaching. Each month we will also hold two group coaching sessions to further support your practices and application.  The timing for these sessions will be finalized based on group preferences.

Your Guides

Marta Ceroni, is the co-director of the Academy for Systems Change. A systems thinker and nature’s economist, she is passionate about revealing the profound connections between human wellbeing and Earth’s living systems. Marta holds a doctorate in forest ecology from the University of Parma, Italy and is an affiliate of the Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont, where she taught and did research for over 10 years. In her work she weaves together a systems orientation, embodied approaches, and an experience as an educator, group facilitator, researcher, author, and dancer. Marta is a facilitator of Telling My Story, a Dance for Parkinson’s instructor, and Argentine Tango community teacher.

 

 

Carrie Norton is a systems entrepreneur with 20+ years of experience reshaping business for a regenerative future. As Founder of Kaleidoscope Ventures, she provides coaching, consulting, and innovation services inspired by natural ecosystems. Previously, she led Green Business BASE CAMP, supported sustainability entrepreneurs worldwide, and held leadership roles in commercial solar power, working with clients like Google and Sony. Her current projects include the Global Regenerative Finance Initiative, Women in Systems Thinking dialogue series, and the ReDesign podcast. A Founding Board Member of Finpublica and Fellow of both the Aspen Global Leadership Network and the Academy for Systems Change, she holds an MBA from Thunderbird and is committed to transformation and women’s leadership in systemic regeneration.

 

 

Participation Fees

Register by April 13 to receive early bird rates.

• Organizational/Supporter Rate: $1,600 USD (Early Bird Rate); $1,920 USD (Regular Rate)

• Non-profit: $750 USD (Early Bird Rate); $900 USD (Regular Rate)

• Individual: $450 USD (Early Bird Rate); $540 USD (Regular Rate)

If you have any questions about these participation fees and/or if these are a barrier to you joining the course, please reach out to marta[at]academyforchange.org

Are you ready to Dance with Systems?

Enroll today to secure your spot in this unique learning experience. Enrollment closes on May 14th, 2025. And for any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to marta[at]academyforchange.org

→REGISTER←