In this article we will review two projects displayed in our WTFutures collection, both facilitated in Pakistani schools by Umar Sheraz, a futurist based in Islamabad.

Project #1 : Exploring the Futures Space at Unity International School

The first project, a Futures Thinking Program, took place at the Unity International School in Islamabad, Pakistan, during four class periods with girls and boys from class 6 to 8 (approx. 11 to 14 years old). 

The animation of the four classes has been built with a wide variety of tools and methods, some of which were inspired by resources from the educational platform Teach the Future (a WTFutures partner organization). The adolescents were first invited to reflect on the importance of futures thinking and introduced to the concept of trends. Between the first and second classes, they were given a mission to investigate trends of the past, from the lives of their grandparents and parents.

The rest of the foresight exercises was based on the SDGs. In groups, the adolescents had to select one of the 17 SDGs and reflect on the following questions in the context of Pakistan: What do you think is going to happen? (Expected futures, cause-effect thinking) / What might happen instead? (Alternative futures, contingent thinking) / What do you want to happen? (Preferred futures, value-based thinking).

The third and fourth classes introduced the Futures Triangle and Futures Wheel tools and the exploration of “what if” questions to deepen the previously described futures and the issues related to the SDGs.

“You told us that SDGs are interconnected. If we had justice in our country, the other SDGs would’ve taken care of themselves “

Project #2 : World Environment Day at Silver Oaks School

This second project took place in the context of the World Environment Day. Umar Sheraz proposed several activities to the students at Silver Oaks School in order to explore several facets of futures thinking.

First they experienced the time-traveler game: using closed-eye visioning, they were asked to imagine a child they really love and explore their future 30 years from now.

To reflect on their relation to the concept of future, they were then asked to position themselves along the 2 axis : Bleak futures / Bright futures and I can influence the future / I can’t make a difference in the future (this activity is called the Polak Game).

Finally, the adolescents individually drew their preferred future and, in groups, used the Futures Triangle to identify the forces in favor and in opposition to these preferred futures.

Umar Sheraz shared:

“Some kids drew/wrote about politicians being more serious about climate change. Others expressed the need for Islamic unity and Islamic teachings. While still others drew time travel machines and flying cars.” 

More about Umar Sheraz

Umar Sheraz is part of Teach the Future, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving future thinking skills of young people and teachers. He is convinced that foresight should be, first and foremost, a tool for children to think about their future and that, as adults/professional futurists, it’s high time we incorporate their views in futures thinking processes. 

As we dive in his work, we can notice his important and clever use of metaphors to teach about foresight. Here are a few examples : 

• “To make it simple for the students, an analogy was drawn about thinking about the future and piloting a ship at sea. You have to anticipate requirements, conditions and essential items before embarking on the journey. On inquiry the children responded with requirements of appropriate clothing, direction, maintenance, security from pirates, food/ drink and weather conditions as some essential things which need to be thought about before leaving for the sea journey.”
• The metaphor of “a “crow’s nest” on a ship's top was given to elaborate how sailors used horizon scanning to look out for pirates, storms, land and any other emerging issue. The work of a futurist is like the person on the crow’s nest who guides the people on the ship’s deck to impending danger or land nearby.”
• “The participants were given the analogy of a spaceship that is moving towards a destination (a desired future); at the same time, it has weight(s) pulling it down and some pushes prompting it to move ahead.”

Initiators: Umar Sheraz, Sobia Irum (the high school coordinator at Unity International School), Saba Nazir (co-author of the second article)

Country: Pakistan

Website: https://www.teachthefuture.org/post/exploring-the-futures-space-at-unity-international-school 

https://www.teachthefuture.org/post/world-environment-day-at-silver-oaks-school-pakistan

https://jfsdigital.org/2025/03/11/a-rocket-to-the-future-futures-triangle-for-childrenbu/