Meet Kim Quick who on day one of CAPP class reminded us all, “It’s a fallacy. I’m actually quite slow.”
And not slow in a bad or weird way – but slow in a way that is thoughtful, attentive, intentional, and wise. She gives us big-picture perspective, the kind that is justified in science all the while sounding poetic and resonating through your heart.
She encourages to think not of nature as a commodity or sustainability as a set of behaviors. She sees transforming old paradigms as an opportunity to help others grow.
She intuitively knows the importance of mindset and belief in impacting the impact we want to have on the planet. For her final project, she developed a course that will be taught next year at the University of Pennsylvania, this learnitall’s alma mater.
The course is called Shifting Sustainability: Elevating Human Potential. Some of the objectives include:
- Gain a deeper understanding of the psychological, organizational and cultural barriers to sustainability.
- Reframe sustainability towards a positive vision of the future.
- Strengthen self-transcendent, intrinsic motivation for sustainability within one’s own life, community or organization.
- Foster mindfulness, resilience, self-awareness and SOMO leadership
- Leverage “ human technologies” of innovation, creativity, collaboration
- Cultivate authentic happiness, wellbeing, and social connection
She says, “Our planet and we along with it will evolve rapidly and dramatically over the coming decades. Working together to enhance societal wellbeing by cultivating the strengths and virtues that motivate higher aspiration for meaning and fulfillment within individuals can aid in the transition to a more sustainable, happier planet. It’s my hope that students who take the class will come away feeling empowered to “be the change” and articulate a vision of what a flourishing world could look like and how they can be an active participant in co-creating it.”
Thank you for spreading the love and planting seeds, you beautiful and mindfully attentive gardener. Now how do we sign up for your class, Kim? ☺
<This Student Spotlight was contributed by Louis Alloro>