Big questions. No easy answers. Plenty to explore.

How do we help young adults make sense of climate change and other complex challenges when we’re still trying to make sense of them ourselves?

That’s the question behind The Next Right Thing Lab.

This is a space for educators who are curious about the world, worried about where it’s heading and not particularly interested in pretending they have all the answers.

We borrow ideas from economics, ecology, psychology and rhetoric to explore how we can think more clearly, have better conversations and help young people discover what they can actually do with what they’re learning.

Think of it as a laboratory for experimenting with ideas, not a place where anyone has all the answers.

A community of practice (and play)

I like the idea of a community of practice. But I like the idea of a community of play even more.

After all, grappling with serious questions doesn’t mean we have to take ourselves so seriously.

The Lab is about trying things out, sharing what works (and what spectacularly doesn’t), asking better questions and learning from one another.

It’s primarily for educators working with teenagers and young adults, but curious minds of all kinds are welcome.

What about the AI thought companion?

There’s also an AI thought companion to help you explore some of the ideas behind the Lab.

It draws on thinkers such as Nate Hagens, Jason Hickel, George Lakoff and Sarah Stein Lubrano, along with approaches from psychology and coaching.

It’s not an oracle, and it certainly isn’t there to do your thinking for you. Think of it as a sparring partner for testing ideas, exploring different perspectives and figuring out what might be worth trying next.

A bit about me

I’m Sean Hutchman. I studied political science, Spanish literature and law, which might help explain why I have a hard time staying in one intellectual lane.

These days, I teach business and law students at a university in Barcelona. I’m also an ICF-accredited coach.

My interest in the climate crisis led me to the work of ecological economist Nate Hagens, who helped me see just how much of our everyday thinking about the economy overlooks the physical world that makes it possible.

That sent me down quite a rabbit hole. The Next Right Thing Lab grew out of that curiosity, along with a growing conviction that educators don’t need to be experts in everything to help young people ask better questions.

I’m still learning, still experimenting and very much figuring things out as I go. The idea is to make this a place where we can try things out, compare notes and learn from one another. I’d love for you to join in.