Leading a new global vision for education
For several years, the education directorate of the OECD — the most influential body on schools globally — has been working on a new model of education, subsuming the ‘human capital’ theory that has shaped schooling for more than half a century into a ‘human flourishing’ paradigm aligned with the 21st-century economy, society, technology and the science of the brain.
Building on the foundations of maths, science and reading, this new model focuses on developing five broader competencies in all young people: adaptive problem-solving, ethical competence, understanding the world, appreciating the world and acting in the world. These are precisely the capabilities young people need to flourish and succeed in the uncertain and rapidly changing decades ahead.
This global shift has been shaped and driven by Michael Stevenson, one of the world’s leading voices in education innovation. As founder of the OECD’s High Performing Systems for Tomorrow initiative and architect of the Education for Human Flourishing framework, Michael has helped redefine education’s purpose in the AI age. Wellington now has the extraordinary opportunity to lead the roll-out of this agenda through the Wellington Institute of Human Flourishing.
Our Mission
The Wellington Institute of Human Flourishing (WIHF) exists to bring this paradigm to life.
Our purpose is clear: to design a Human Flourishing in the Age of AI curriculum and embed the five competencies at the heart of academic, pastoral and co-curricular life.
Guided by Michael Stevenson—Founding Director of WIHF and Senior Adviser to the International Baccalaureate from 2026—we are committed to reshaping education so that cultivating whole-person growth becomes as fundamental as teaching knowledge, and every young person develops the qualities needed to thrive in an AI-shaped, interconnected world.
What we do
The Wellington Institute of Human Flourishing turns global educational ambition into tangible, transformative practice. We design the systems, experiences and professional culture that make Human Flourishing real, visible and impactful.
Changing the Conversation
We are leading a fundamental shift in how education understands its purpose.
Informed by global policy thinking shaped through OECD-led international dialogues, WIHF helps schools and communities see not only why flourishing matters, but how it fosters thriving young people and cultivates the ethical leadership needed for the future of education.
Transforming Learning Experiences
At the core of our work is the creation of the Human Flourishing in the Age of AI curriculum—a pioneering programme equipping young people with the cognitive, ethical and emotional skills required for an AI-transformed world.
We design whole-school frameworks that embed the five competencies across every dimension of schooling:
- Academic life through rigorous, future-focused learning
- Pastoral life through character, wellbeing and ethical development
- Co-curricular life through creativity, service, leadership and real-world action
This is a new model for how young people learn, grow and flourish—aligned with global thinking yet rooted in daily school experience.
Developing Educators and Leaders
Human Flourishing starts with the adults who shape young minds. Through The Bridge, our centre for cutting-edge teaching and learning, we offer CPD and leadership programmes grounded in cognitive science, ethics, AI literacy and wellbeing.
These programmes empower educators to become designers of flourishing—able to lead young people through complexity and change with confidence and purpose.
Advancing Research and Insight
We ensure that our work is both rigorous and globally connected. Through a multi-year strategy, WIHF is building a robust evidence base informed by advisory councils, international partnerships, and ongoing evaluation aligned with leading global bodies—including Michael Stevenson’s continuing work with the OECD and IB.
Through this research ecosystem, WIHF contributes to shaping international understanding of how schools can cultivate the human competencies essential for flourishing.
A new chapter for education
The Wellington Institute of Human Flourishing represents a bold commitment to shaping not only what young people learn, but who they become.
Here, Human Flourishing becomes the organising principle of education—preparing young people with the wisdom, adaptability, imagination and purpose needed to shape the world ahead.
