The Flow Approach team is beyond excited to announce that My Learning Story was recognized as one of the top educational innovations in the HundrED Global Collection 2025. This recognition was celebrated during the HundrED Innovation Summit 2024 in Helsinki.
One of our founders, Annette de Graaf, joined the summit, together with other global educators, innovators, and changemakers to talk and learn about this year’s theme, “Futures in the Making.” She had a fantastic week in Helsinki and came back feeling empowered and inspired to keep working hard in making Flow School Norway come to life.
What Is My Learning Story?
For those who don’t know what My Learning Story is all about, here’s a short explanation in one sentence:
My Learning Story is a digital tool, designed to make learning and growth visible.
That might be a bit too short though, so here’s some more information:
My Learning Story empowers learners to document their growth, set personal learning goals, and reflect on their progress, creating a narrative that connects learners, educators, and parents.
The idea for My Learning Story began during Annette’s time as a Dutch language educator at the International School of Amsterdam. In parent meetings, she noticed a challenge that kept popping up: parents often doubted their children’s progress because they didn’t see or hear evidence of learning. Children would freeze under pressure or struggle to articulate what they had achieved.
My Learning Story bridged that gap. Parents could finally witness their children’s progress, celebrate their growth, and understand the hard work happening behind the scenes. This idea has since evolved and expanded, becoming a tool to document learning across subjects and environments, from additional language skills to science, social studies, and art.
Assessment at The Flow Approach
My Learning Story is an important part of TFA’s learner-centered approach. It gives learners agency, allowing them to take ownership of their educational journey.
What makes it so special is the balance between structure and freedom. The format provides a clear framework for documenting learning and at the same time each learner personalizes their story, which showcases their personal growth and achievements. Learners absolutely love creating their My Learning Story because it puts them in charge and empowers them to see and celebrate their progress in meaningful ways.
For parents, My Learning Story is like a window into the classroom. It answers the ever-familiar question, “What did you do at school today?” This is a question often connected to the answers: “Nothing,” or “I don’t know.” By providing concrete insights into their children’s experiences, My Learning Story helps parents feel connected to their children’s education and sparks meaningful conversations about learning.
Takeaways from the HundrED Summit
The HundrED Innovation Summit was filled with inspiring stories, fresh ideas and powerful conversations. Here are a few of Annette’s favorite takeaways:
- Human Flourishing Is the Goal
Education should focus on more than academics. It is all about helping children thrive: emotionally, socially and intellectually. This idea aligns so well with Flow School’s mission to prioritize well-being alongside academic excellence. Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Director of the IB, shared a personal story about finding belonging through his school band and he reminded us of the importance of connection and purpose in education:
“The final aim of education is not learning. The final aim of education is human flourishing.”
Food for thought from Olli-Pekka Heinonen: How did these butterflies gain the knowledge that if they get together like this, they look like an owl and scare away predators? Where does that wisdom come from? How did they communicate their strategy? - Resilience and Creativity are born from Adversity
The summit highlighted how resilience and creativity can emerge even in the face of huge (and even life-threatening) challenges. Changemaker Naqiya Ebrahim of Seenaryo, who works with children in conflict-affected regions such as Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan shared with the crowd how she and her team make a true difference for children who grow up in unsafe areas. She shared how play can be a transformative tool for processing trauma and building trust:
“The power of play is underestimated. When you see a child process trauma and build trust through play, you understand it is more than a game: it is healing.”
Similarly, Damilola Okonkwo of KEY Academy in Nigeria spoke about empowering learners in underserved communities through project-based education. Her work in Makoko helps children develop skills to create sustainable solutions for their communities:
“You cannot memorize your way out of poverty. If we want students to succeed, we must teach them to become problem solvers and changemakers.”
The stories of these two inspirational women served as powerful reminders that even in challenging contexts, creativity and resilience can drive meaningful transformation.
3. Listening to Youth Voices in the Future of Education
One of the summit’s most inspiring themes was the importance of including youth voices in shaping the future of education.
Natalia Kallio captured this sentiment with her statement:
“Young people are not just the future; they are present today.”
Youth leaders like Maggie Mattson, Artem Sergeyev and Oliver Dorogi shared their insights on what meaningful engagement looks like. Their advocacy called for education systems that actively listen to and reflect the needs of learners.
These reflections empowered the belief that education must prioritize emotional connection and collaboration, not just academic achievement. Exactly what we, at Flow School, believe as well. It was so reassuring to hear so many people ‘speak the same language’.
4. Social-Emotional Learning: The Heart of Education
One of the loudest messages from the summit was that social-emotional learning (SEL) is foundational to education. It supports children to learn how to regulate emotions, build empathy, and navigate challenges. And it should not just be a lesson of SEL per week, but we need to embed it in everything we do: the way we show up and start the day, the way we listen to each other, the way we speak with each other, the way we think, the way we try to support others, etc, etc.
Speakers like Shweta Chari from The Opentree Foundation demonstrated how play-based activities strengthen social bonds and resilience in urban centers where space and resources are limited. Her Conscious Play approach reminded us that SEL truly is essential.
Flow School Norway’s ‘neighbor’ Siri Abrahamsen (founder of Gleding) further emphasized the role of educators in modeling SEL skills, creating classrooms where empathy and emotional resilience are woven into daily learning. This ties directly into Flow School’s mission to nurture well-being alongside academic excellence, helping learners flourish in all aspects of life.
Inspiring Connections
The HundrED Summit was really not just about the ideas shared on stage; another very excited part were the connections created during lunch, dinner and all other ‘free’ moments. Educators, innovators, and policymakers from around the world exchanged stories, challenges, and solutions, reaffirming the importance of working together to transform education. As HundrED’s founder, Saku Tuominen , said,
“There are never boring conversations here at the summit.”
One of the summit’s strongest messages was that the time for action is now. Words are powerful, but the real impact lies in the steps taken to bring them to life.
Annette left the summit feeling SUPER inspired and motivated to continue creating a environment where every member of the learning community feels seen, valued and empowered to reach their full potential.
What’s Next for My Learning Story?
The insights from the HundrED Summit are be a guiding force to keep developing The Flow Approach, as well as My Learning Story. The recognition of My Learning Story is just the beginning and it has helped to gain even more confidence that we’re doing the right thing here. By valuing collaboration, prioritizing well-being and listening to the voices of all community members, the vision of transforming education into a space for human flourishing comes closer to reality every day.
We don’t just talk about it, we’re making change happen! Yes!
The Flow Approach 