Basecamp

The world needs leaders who see deeply complex issues and embrace them. Leaders who can work collaboratively to overcome the entanglement of challenges at different levels and envision new possibilities for brighter futures. Leaders like you. 

Joining Basecamp means beginning a learning journey with a team of intrepid explorers, each pioneers in their own fields, coming together to discover new ways of creating change. World-class practitioners will be your guides, bringing a plethora of disciplines to meet the needs of any sector or learning style. 

Over the course of six months, we will host you in facilitated workshops, peer learning, applied project-work, reflections, personal inquiry and 1-to-1 coaching. At the School of System Change we believe that the most powerful learning experience exposes you to a broad range of tools, frameworks and approaches in order to help you to find your best way in.

Learn more about our multi-method approach to systems change learning.

"The School experience was nothing short of transformational and I highly recommend it to any leader who is seeking to understand the impact of their work on bigger systems in society."

Dr Narges Baniasadi, Basecamp alum

Founder & Executive Director, Emergence Program, Adjunct Professor at Stanford University

Basecamp is a 6-month part-time journey into the foundations of systems change practice. The course focuses on sharpening our understanding of systems change, using practical approaches to explore dynamics of change, and deepening our appreciation of how worldviews shape our thinking. Content is brought in by at least eight contributors: experienced practitioners from various backgrounds who introduce their frameworks, approaches and perspectives from complexity, systems thinking, futures, transitions, living systems and regenerative practices.

The facilitation team support strengthening your systemic practices and applying these to your challenges, in group work and through individual action learning. You will develop strategies for creating deep change with small interventions. You will learn about how to work differently with others, addressing equity, power and working with conflict as well as enabling collaboration. You will deepen your capacity for systems leadership. The whole process is underpinned by action inquiry, giving you insights into learning and evaluation for systems change. 

A core component of the programme is the opportunity to join a peer learning group to apply learning to a live challenge during the sessions. Challenges are sourced among the cohort with previous groups being formed around topics as diverse as understanding the role of research in advancing racial justice in the climate adaptation field and addressing healthcare professional burnout.

To ensure you are able to apply your learning to your context, we offer several individual coaching sessions throughout the Basecamp course. This can help you refine your inquiry questions, get guidance on which approaches might work best in your specific situation, and benefit from personal support as you develop your systems leadership qualities.

Learning outcomes

Through this course you will learn to:

• understand systems change as a process & an outcome
• navigate a variety of systemic change framings and approaches
• apply different tools and methods to complex challenges
• see how change happens over time, and at different levels
• see patterns and connections, applied to complex challenges 
• see value in engaging with multiple perspectives

As much as you will come away with systems change learning, you’ll also emerge from the experience as changed people - adopting new mindsets, worldviews and approaches to solving problems. And last but not least, you’ll have developed relationships with other like-minded changemakers and belong to a community of practice.

How we host

At the School, we believe there is no one “right” way of doing systems change work, and embrace both multiple methodologies and multiple ways of learning. So we host our Basecamp course with a variety of different formats and ways of engaging with content.

Our experienced facilitators host the cohort throughout the whole process, helping you navigate the wealth of perspectives and practical knowledge and tools shared by our contributors. They also support group work and offer individual coaching sessions.

All sessions will take place on Zoom. Basecamp is designed to be as experiential and social as possible using our years of experience of facilitating online. We ensure sessions are interactive and allow for plenty of small group discussions in breakout rooms. There will be regular breaks as well as some activities to take off-screen, reflective time and invitations to join us in movement to help sustain our energy levels throughout.

We have an online learning platform where pre-reads, session recordings and content are all housed in one place, and a Slack team dedicated to each cohort for live conversation.

Facilitators for Basecamp 2024 will be shared shortly.

We are always evolving our content to bring you the cutting-edge of systems change. Contributors for this programme are being finalised. Please see some of our contributors and facilitators from previous editions:

Is Basecamp for me?

Basecamp is the course for you if:

• You are looking to really dive into systems change and develop your practice through learning multiple methods and approaches from across the field
• You are interested in working towards a more just, equitable and regenerative future
• You are ready to dive into the unknown, challenge your assumptions, and commit to the work required to get the most out of the course
• You have a role with potential to effect change (including in roles of non-traditional leadership, but with scope of influence) - an ability to put your learning into practice
• You have a baseline understanding of the many complex environmental, political and socio-economic challenges facing our world today
• You have a live challenge to explore and tackle through the course (or several options, this does not have to be fleshed out!)

If you are looking for a shorter introduction to systems change, our Delta course might be just right for you.

Who else will be on the course?

Mirroring system change principles in our cohort, we aim for a group of around 20 people, representing:

• A wide diversity of worldviews, lived experience, and perspectives
• A range of professional contexts - including business, non-profit, government, philanthropy, and other enablers of change
• A variety of complex challenges in sustainability and social change

We seek to create safe and brave spaces for participants from different backgrounds and lived experience to engage in learning together. We acknowledge the power and responsibility we hold in our role as a convenor and learning provider, placing multiple ways of knowing and awareness of difference as fundamental design principles in our programmes.

Read more about our commitment and journey around equity and difference.

Accessibility

If you will need additional support for your wellbeing or access needs, then please let the team know as soon as possible, so we can factor this into our session design. You can let us know in the application form or email us at [email protected] - we are happy to arrange a call to discuss how we can support your learning. The course producer will also be on hand throughout the course if you have any questions or concerns to raise. 

Course dates

Course dates and times, as well as information session times, will be shared shortly. Basecamp 2024 will start in September.

Online learning cohort time will total around 70 hours over the 6 months, with some intensive sessions over several consecutive days, and regular short sessions inbetween.

Course fees will be shared shortly.

Information session times will be shared shortly. Express interest in Basecamp to receive an email once times are announced.

Express interest

We will be accepting applications soon. Express interest in Basecamp to receive an email once applications open.

Express interest

Are you interested in speaking with one of our team to answer any specific questions you may have? Please send us an email at [email protected]. We're looking forward to hearing from you!

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