Nordic Resilience Starts at School aims to establish 10 core standards for the development of holistic and resilient schools in Poland, intended for implementation at the level of national policy. As lead facilitator, arki_lab guides stakeholders through the collaborative development of these standards.

Our approach to the project is to integrate diverse stakeholders and students through cross-generational collaboration. Furthermore, we share our expertise in democratic design, architecture, and building renovation to inspire and encourage to develop successful solutions through co-creation.

Three pillars of resilience  
The project was initiated by the Nordic embassies in Poland (Norway, Finland, Iceland and Denmark) and addresses the potential for using schools as catalysts for creating more resilient communities by transforming them along three complementary dimensions:

• Schools as healthy physical buildings (energy-efficient, self-sufficient hubs that prioritize student well-being)
• Schools as the heart of the urban community (social arenas for local communities driving social and environmental transformation)
• Schools as meccas of democracy (fostering civic engagement and democratic participation through youth participation).
  

Creating a vision together in practise
In October 2025 we facilitated a two-part workshop for 14 teams representing 14 regions of Poland, each consisting of a city mayor, a school director and students. Throughout the day, the teams debated challenges, qualities and potentials for their schools and developed strategic insight into ways of creating more resilient schools and communities.

Based on this, we created a strategic summary document of the inputs and insights developed from the workshop. The summary document serves a dual purpose: it provides an analytical foundation for defining the project’s core standards and acts as a practical tool for the participating schools.

Furthermore, we facilitated a follow-up workshop in March 2026 focusing on pillar 1: The school as healthy physical buildings. By gathering the same participants, we leveraged previous insights to further advance the project and refine concrete solutions.