Education for connection: the power of relational pedagogy in a fragmented world — Dr. Harriet Marshall & Rahul Karavadra:
We are living through an era of profound fragmentation: of knowledge, of community, of trust, of attention. Young people are navigating complexity that no generation before them has faced in quite the same combination - from ecological instability and technological acceleration to polarised digital environments. This session explores the urgency and importance of a relational approach to education itself - relational learning, thinking and pedagogy. An approach that places human connection (to other humans, species, spaces and more) at the heart of how and why we learn. Drawing on emerging thinking around a ‘connection curriculum’ structured around six interconnected forms of connection (to self, others, communities, the wider world, futures, and information and technology), this session explores what it looks like in practice when schools commit to relational pedagogy as foundational infrastructure rather than an add-on. Through film, reflection and discussion, participants will encounter real examples of young people and educators navigating complexity through story, dialogue and encounter. The session will also model the pedagogy it describes, inviting school leaders to experience relational learning and consider what it might look like to embed this more coherently across their own settings.
About the speakers
Harriet Marshall is Director of Education and Impact at Lyfta, an immersive learning platform that brings human stories from around the world into schools. She has worked in the field of global education over 25 years as a teacher, researcher, consultant and project leader. Harriet has a PhD in the movement for global learning (Cambridge, 2005), and has published and presented on global citizenship education both nationally and internationally. Her current work focuses on the development of evidence-informed, story-based learning experiences rooted in relational pedagogy and human connection - she also has a passion for intergenerational learning. Prior to Lyfta, Harriet was a National Leader on the government-funded Global Learning Programme and a Lecturer in International Education at Bath University.
Rahul Karavadra is Head of Partnerships at Lyfta, a MAT Trustee and Chair of Governors at a Church of England Primary. With over a decade in education, he partners with school and trust leaders to create human- connected learning experiences that bring the world into the classroom, broadening horizons, building cultural capital, and enriching the curriculum to make learning genuinely joyful. Rahul is deeply passionate about belonging, identity formation, and ensuring every pupil sees themselves reflected in their education.
