New York, NY — October 30th 2025

Earlier this month, I had the joy of attending the Partner Learning Event for the UP for Change Initiative, a project of the International Youth Foundation with funding from the Oak Foundation. The event marked the culmination of a two-year participatory grant-making project in which neurodiverse youth leaders designed and implemented grant-making processes to support projects serving youth with learning differences. Among the projects selected for funding was our Content Creation Lab at Global Nomads, where a neurodiverse group of youth from 15 countries collaborated to create our latest free online course, Neurodiversity, Leadership, and Belonging.

A recurring theme throughout the weekend, and one that continues to resonate with me, is the idea of paradigm shifts. Dr. Sydney Schaef, a learning sciences researcher and education designer, framed these shifts as essential for redesigning educational systems that honor every learner and catalyze real social transformation. (A paradigm is a shared set of beliefs, values, and assumptions that shape how we understand problems and decide what’s possible. A paradigm shift is a fundamental change in how we understand and make sense of the world around us.) At our gathering, Schaef described three dominant paradigms that reinforce exclusion: social hierarchy, fixed intelligence, and the medical model of disability. In short, these paradigms assume that some people are more deserving of power than others, ability is innate and unchangeable, and differences are individual problems to be managed.

Schaef contrasts these with what she calls the ABCs, three emergent paradigms that can guide inclusive system design: agency, belonging, and competence. Agency recognizes everyone’s right to direct their own lives and share power. Belonging ensures that everyone is safe, valued, and able to contribute their unique gifts. Competence guarantees access to learning that supports growth and unlocks potential. Paradigms are the most important leverage points for transforming complex systems. At Global Nomads, we put these ABCs into practice to transform learning experiences for young people around the world.

Agency is at the heart of what we do. Our model is built on the belief that the learning, knowledge sharing, and solutions that will change the world must be created by youth, for youth. As Hamza, one of the youth grantmakers at UPforChange, reflected, “We are often told we are the tomorrow. You forget that we are also the leaders in the present. The problems we are experiencing, we are experiencing them now.” Similarly, Clementina observed, “You can’t make change for young people without young people in the room.” We not only center agency in our theory of change, but also design learning experiences that support young people in developing agency and related outcomes like leadership, initiative, and action orientation. External evaluations of our programs’ impact show statistically significant growth in these outcomes, both for youth course designers and for students engaging with our courses.

Belonging is equally central. Shuri, another UPforChange youth grantmaker, noted that “the solution at any level needs to come down to empathy, grace, humility, and understanding.” Clementina challenged existing paradigms, remarking, “Whoever created the box, I need to have a discussion with them,” referring to systems that categorize people based on ability or other labels. At Global Nomads, we believe belonging is essential not just for individual growth but for transforming the world we have into the world we want. Our Content Creation Lab youth leaders begin each cohort by asking, “How do we create a program where everyone feels like they belong and can contribute?” That question shapes everything—from meeting formats to the content itself—and ensures all participants can bring their full selves to the work.

Finally, competence guides our approach to learning, from design to delivery. We engage youth in selecting course topics ranging from AI to climate justice, ensuring the learning addresses real, present-day challenges. Beyond content mastery, our programs cultivate future-ready skills that are increasingly crucial: collaboration, intercultural communication, adaptability, and critical thinking. Jackie, another youth grantmaker, spoke to how ready her generation is for this kind of learning : “Young people welcome new ideas. We are quick to adapt.” At Global Nomads, we work to equip youth with the tools and support they need to build these competencies and thrive.

Participatory grant-making, as the Up for Change Initiative demonstrates, validates the expertise of youth, and the need for solutions that center those closest to the problem. Youth grantmaker Samson noted, “If you don’t let us help you decide [what to invest in], you’ll end up funding around the problem,” underscoring the importance of youth agency in shaping meaningful learning and solutions. We are honored that the UPforChange young leaders chose to invest in youth-driven leadership in the Content Creation Lab. 

The ABCs of learning design remind us that when agency, belonging, and competence guide our work, we are not just supporting individual growth. We are seeding the transformative potential that can reshape systems and expand what’s possible for all learners.

Check out the course that our young designers created, thanks to the investment of  the UP for Change initiative! Neurodiversity, Leadership, and Belonging that is free and available worldwide on our NomadVerse platform.