April 16, 2025
With building blocks for educational innovation
What does a learning space need for children to really feel at home there? This question was the focus of our very first co-creation session in the Education Lab – and we couldn’t have wished for a more inspiring opening round. After all, who could know better what a good learning space looks like than those for whom it is there? Together with a committed group of children, we tried out what happens when you not only listen to children, but also give them real creative space.
On April 7, we had the pleasure of welcoming an inclusion group from the LG15 in the newly opened Education Lab – curious, colorful, loud, creative. It was a special moment: not just because they were our very first guests, but because their unbiased, direct perspective showed us exactly what we often forget when we talk about educational spaces. Namely, that it’s about much more than equipment and furniture. It’s about feelings. About safety, about co-determination, about the feeling of being seen and heard.
Building rooms that feel good
Lego bricks, Kapla wood and lots of craft materials were ready to start with. The task: build your ideal learning space in small groups. A place where you feel comfortable. That is fun for you. That protects you or challenges you – depending on what is important to you.
What happened next was impressive: people tinkered, tried things out, made decisions together, discarded them and rebuilt them. But each group created something unique – and above all: something personal.
As we walked together from station to station, they explained what they had built – and, above all, why. There was a high tower that symbolized goals and ambitions: “I want to go high – but not too high, because I’m afraid of heights.” And a lovingly designed wall said: “Our wall protects us.”
Reflecting together: What do we really need?
Afterwards, we sat down together in a circle – a quiet moment to delve deeper. Each child was allowed to tell what they needed in the learning space. It wasn’t about right or wrong, but about space to talk. And it was precisely this space that the children used to show us their view of school and learning.
We asked: What makes a school good? What does it take to make learning feel good? The children’s answers were honest, reflective and surprisingly concrete.
What kept coming back was the desire for places of retreat. Rooms where you can be undisturbed when things get too much. At the same time, many wanted school to be more colorful – in the literal sense. More colors. More creative freedom. More space for imagination.
One child wished that they could learn outside more often at school: “When we go outside, I can concentrate better. I don’t want to sit still all day.” Others emphasized the importance of exercise, play and animals: “I’d like to have a school animal that we can look after.” and one even said, “School will be hacked. Then we’ll only have our favorite subjects.”
Education begins with listening
For us, this session was a first step in the direction we want the Education Lab to take: a place where perspectives are taken seriously – and where every voice counts. Especially the perspectives of children and young people, who are often asked far too rarely, even though they are experts in their own educational experiences.
And what happens next?
The impulses from this first co-creation session flow directly into our deliberations – on the design of the space, on formats, on topics that we want to address in the lab. The children’s perspectives help us to broaden our view.
At the same time, this session was also a symbol of what the Education Lab wants to be: a place where everyone can get involved – whether as a child, teacher, director, initiative or administrator.
A huge thank you to LG15 and its dedicated teachers – for their openness, trust and courage to shape education together. You filled the Education Lab with life even before the furniture was completely finished.
We look forward to many more co-creation sessions – and to moving education together with you.
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