Thomas Nielsen, is an Associate Professor at the University of Canberra, Australia. Born in Denmark Thomas brings to this podcast his deep humanity and scholarly understanding about how to create a meaningful life.

He has served in several of the Australian Government's values and wellbeing education projects across Australia.

His publications have been peer reviewed and published by high impact journals and esteemed book publishers (www.thomaswnielsen.net), and he is the recipient of national teaching awards, including the 2008 Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (http://www.olt.gov.au/list-awards?text=thomas+university+of+canberra).

Dr Nielsen advocates a ‘Curriculum of Giving’, his research showing that giving and service to others increase wellbeing and resilience in students—something much needed in the world with high youth depression and suicide rates.

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/bernie-rosa/dandelions-scatter

License code: G119DWAZ9NT7C02P

For more information about the transformational work of the IVET Foundation and its global Affiliates visit http://www.ivetfoundation.com

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In this revealing Noble Conversation, Fabienne Vailes talks openly about her personal journey and the development of her views about life and education.

Fabienne is a parent, educator, and someone who could no longer ignore what wasn’t working in education.

First and foremost, she's a mother of two teenage boys. Like many parents, her journey hasn’t been straightforward. It has involved questioning, unlearning, and rethinking what education really means.

At one point, she home educated one of her sons, while the other followed a more traditional school path. Living these different realities side by side changed how she sees education: not as one system, but as something much more complex and human.

After nearly 30 years working across education from early years to higher education, she began to notice a pattern.

More and more young people were struggling. And more and more adults were trying to hold it all together.

It didn’t sit right with Fabienne to see children as “the problem”.

So, she started asking different questions:

• What if behaviour is communication?
• What if well-being is not an add-on, but the foundation?
• What if we need to unlearn as much as we learn?

Flourishing Education grew from these questions.

Fabienne's work sits between the “ME” and the “WE”.

Fabienne supports parents, teachers, and school staff who are holding a lot, not by offering quick fixes or strategies, but by creating space to pause, reflect, and see more clearly.

Fabienne is:

• an NLP Practitioner and Master Practitioner
• a Coach
• a Clinical Hypnotherapist, with a focus on anxiety and stress
• a Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher (LinkedIn)

These are not techniques she “applies” to people.

Fabienne Vailles is author of 'The Flourishing Student' (in its second edition) aimed at teachers and tutors, co-author of 'How to Grow a Grown Up' written for parents with Dr Dominique Thompson and soon to be co-author a third book co-authored with Dr Natalie Rothwell-Warn which will come out in summer 2026. She is also a podcaster and Founder of Flourishing Education. Neil enjoyed being a guest on her podcast. As part of her PhD at the University of Bristol she is currently exploring How we Co-Create Enabling Environments in Secondary Schools to BE and Flourish Together.

Fabienne's passion is to explore how we co-create and transform our education systems so that ALL can flourish. She has a deep interest in how together we decolonise our thinking, doing and most importantly our BE-ing through both inner soulful justice and external social justice work, one imperfectly perfect conversation at a time.

At the heart of it all, Fabienne cares deeply about holding and co-creating spaces where people can be, become, and belong.

Fabienne will touch your heart and challenge your thinking by her authenticity.

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/bernie-rosa/dandelions-scatter

License code: Q218Y1ZDOLIAIYOO

For more information about the transformational work of the IVET Foundation and its global Affiliates visit http://www.ivetfoundation.com

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There is a small and select band of educational professionals in the UK who have not only had their achievements recognised in the New Year’s Honours List, but who are also able to inspire others with their outstanding knowledge, passion and enthusiasm – Sir John Jones is one.

Knighted in 2003 for his services to education, Sir John worked most of his professional life in challenging schools across the North West of England, his last post being the head-teacher of a large secondary school in Merseyside.
His achievements and reputation for straight talking, leadership and creativity led him to be invited onto various organizations, panels and think tanks including the National College for School Leadership, the DfES’ Leadership Development Unit, the Teacher Development Agency’s National Remodelling Unit and visiting posts with both Manchester and Liverpool Universities.

Sir John Jones is inspirational. He should be compulsory listening!

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/bernie-rosa/dandelions-scatter

License code: WIFVD8AZFMXQJD0U

For more information about the transformational work of the IVET Foundation and its global Affiliates visit http://www.ivetfoundation.com

Thanks for listening!