Our Mission
We are driven by a need to meet the magnitude and urgency of the moment, facing global challenges and taking advantage of opportunities and inflection points to make transformative change in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for Society (STIS).
We seek to shift mindsets, build understanding and skills, create innovative approaches, and tackle neglected areas necessary for reimagining and rebuilding STI systems in the public and societal interests and with the active participation and perspectives of youth and women.
Ultimately, we want to realize:
Maximizing Good and Preventing Harm. STI that is ethical, advances human rights, is subject to critical analysis, governance mechanisms and accountability measures.
Benefitting All of Society. STI which considers the contributions and needs of all of society and which places a premium on public participation, interest and goods and benefits for all.
Creating Equity Now and for Future Generations STI where youth build STEM identity and are positioned to shape more equitable systems. And where all STIS stakeholders act responsibly in the interests of future generations.
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Pace and impact of technological change and many breakthrough “cusps” and inflection points coupled with gaps in public awareness, distribution of benefits, and regulation and mechanisms to mitigate harm.
Societal Changes that challenge trust in science and technology and civic participation on the one hand but, on the other, call for new social, political and economic models and justice, and that promote more open and cooperative systems (including in science and tech). Covid 19 exposed many systemic problems and also presents a unique opportunity to fix them.
Educational Pedagogical shifts that emphasize transdisciplinary, placed based learning and rethinking where and how learning takes place – all opportunities to build scientific and technological identity.
Planetary Crisis which, will require changes in our relationship with nature, human behavior, production and consumption patterns, economic systems, and regenerative science and technology.
Goals
The Futuristas Framework takes an ecosystem approach to reorienting STI and related fields and accelerating needed change.
FUTURISTAS WORKS TO:
SHAPE We help shape thinking and understanding and focus on forward looking, bold visioning, and intergenerational equity.
INTEGRATE We help create conditions and opportunities for whole of society transformation by breaking down silos, connecting different stakeholders for collaboration and collective action, relationship building, and creating pathways for youth and women.
INNOVATE & CREATE We drive change by focusing on emerging and innovative approaches, pedagogies and disciplines, and by applying a public and community centered lens. We also build content and programming where there are gaps and neglected but important areas of work.
EDUCATE We develop learning opportunities that consider and ground STI across an individual’s life experiences and interests, that allow for critical skill development, applied learning, and that create a greater sense of STI identity and personal and collective agency.
CONNECT AND BUILD CAPACITIES We build field and organizational capacities and connect partners - and translate across sectors - to increase understanding, intelligence, and sharing of practices and the tactics of their implementation.
ADVISE We provide advisory services to help partners build contextualized strategies, solutions, skills and ways forward.