Gaia ChangeMakers Program (Summer)

Please note that registration for 2024 is almost full and we expect spaces to fill up very soon. Early Bird pricing until 31st March. You can already reserve a space for 2025 and benefit from a supersaver discount of CHF 1,500.

The Gaia ChangeMakers Program is a new program of Make The Change, that combines fun, challenge and transformation. A camp to inspire 16 to 19 year-olds over three weeks to discover themselves, their values, inner strength and potential. The camp starts in Zurich, then Prague, and finishes in the beautiful Swiss Alps. Students explore global challenges like meeting energy demands, circular economies and sustainability, and a solutions based approach to build the skills and values needed to address them.

KEY EXPERIENCES:

• Immersive art and engineering projects (e.g. painting a mural in a Swiss Village and building a remote controlled hydrogen fuelled car)
• Hands-on workshops (e.g. Inner Transition work to take action, Climate Fresk to understand the causes and effects of climate change, conflict management skills...)
• Company visits, and expert talks around circular economy, supply chain and more (e.g. Patagonia, Panasonic, Planted Foods and more)
• Excursions and activities in a variety of urban and natural settings. (e.g. staying on a glacier, hikes, swimming in the lakes, visiting a Swiss Chocolate factory, sightseeing and more!)

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Develop skills that set you up for life, and universities and employers highly value in their best recruits, such as systems thinking (complexity awareness), problem solving like an innovator (using design thinking) and conflict management (leadership and communication).
• Using the "Inner Development Goals" skills are coupled with values like empathy building, developing a sense of being, inclusion, respect and resilience.
• Students are challenged to consider possible careers, even ones that may not yet exist.
• International Baccalaureate Diploma students may also use the program to meet a number of the "CAS" (Creativity, Activity, Service) requirements.
• Learning and friends to last a lifetime.

The program is founded and led by Diya Kanoria. She has led many overseas trips with students, during her extensive experience as a high school educator in the UK, USA and Switzerland. Through teaching and as a former Curriculum Area Leader at Zurich International School, Diya has a deep appreciation for the transformative power of education. She hold two Masters degrees from the University of Cambridge, and Duke University.

The program is also the product of a number of collaborations and partnerships, for example with Felix Keller, Professor at the University ETH Zurich, UNESCO Bioreserve Engadine, Netpathie, the Transition Lab at EPER, APAG Elektronik, Freitag Lab, Planted Foods, Patagonia and more.

Students can particpate as semi or fully residential students.
Semi-residential students do not have accomodation in Zurich, and will be with their families on the weekends.

We know three weeks may seem long during summer vacations, but we believe meaningful transformation takes time, and are confident you will be wanting it to be longer once you take part!
All participants receive a Gaia ChangeMaker Certificate, and may join our "Gaia Fellowship Program", with lifelong access to the Community Platform, a safe and secure way for Fellows to collaborate on projects and to explore curated content and exchange ideas.