Playful Genius        Meaningful Living

Reimagining education and honoring the creativity and genius in every child

More and more children and young people are opting out of school — not out of conscious choice, laziness or lack of ability, but as a nervous system reaction to our systems’ failure to make enough space for our diversity, curiosity, creativity, sensitivity as human beings.

What if we see school absence from a meta perspective as a collective, healthy trauma response to systems that are in unhealthy imbalance?

Our values and belief systems may not have kept up with changing times. We may have reinforced an educational system where competition, standardization and production is more important than creating safe, spacious, joyful and loving environments that stimulate the child’s uniquely wired, natural curiosity and need for learning.

What if school absence is a signal for us to stop forcing, and start listening — to the child, their needs, and their creative impulses?

Elinna Lenora Stokka

• Communicator, trailblazer and spaceholder for creative and sensitive children and youth in our educational systems
• Trained as a Social Anthropologist from the University of Oslo, with additional training as Psychotherapist, Facilitator and Creativity Guide
• Mother of two creative, amazing young people who have had massive absences in school
• Experienced in teaching, facilitating and spaceholding at all levels, presently in an art project for youth with school absence issues

Playful Genius

• Supports young people who struggle in traditional schooling by empowering the adults around them — parents, teachers, and decision-makers
• Supports the creation of environments where children can thrive and unfold their unique genius
• Together with parents and educators, we listen and explore to understand the silent protest of young people with school absence
• Give workshops giving parents and youth skills to navigate the challenges of our changing world, so they can live meaningful, playful, and empowered lives
• Give talks with a meta perspective on school absence mixed with personal stories and professional experiences
• Reimagining an educational system that holds space for the unique creativity and genius of every child

In a world changing faster than ever, it is precisely this diversity and creativity that will drive the innovation of tomorrow.