The Open Canopy is an initiative of Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education. It began in 2013, under the name of Out of Eden Learn, as a free online intercultural exchange program for youth aged 4-19, and it was originally founded in collaboration with the Out of Eden Walk project, a multi-year walk around the world that journalist and National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek was about to begin and which he is still pursuing. While the collaboration with Out of Eden Walk remains strong, over the years, what is now called The Open Canopy has evolved into a unique pedagogy that is applicable to both online and in-person contexts and serves as an umbrella for a variety of initiatives. The new name reflects its wider scope.
That is the short story. If you’d like to learn more about the founding of the project and what the name The Open Canopy is meant to express, read on.
In the fall of 2013, Paul Salopek came to Harvard University as a visiting Fellow at Harvard’s Nieman Foundation for Journalism. His purpose was to connect with scholars and educators to help him prepare for what would become a multi-decade walk around the world. Called Out of Eden Walk, the journey would begin in the Rift Valley in Ethiopia and follow the migratory pathways of ancient humankind. The project would be a prolonged experiment in “slow journalism”–an approach to reporting that emphasizes immersive storytelling and deep observation. While on campus, Paul met with anthropologists and archaeologists, scientists and journalists, artists and educators. He eventually found his way to Project Zero. As we sat around a table listening to him talk about his upcoming journey, we were struck by the resonances between his approach to journalism and Project Zero’s approach to learning. Both approaches favor depth over breadth, reciprocal dialogue over transmissive communication, careful observation over quick gloss, and deep connection-making across contexts and cultures.
This resonance sparked an idea. What might it look like, we wondered, to create an online program in which young people could explore their own local areas in the spirit of slow journalism, and then share stories and make connections online with other young people across the globe who had done the same? Paul’s journalism might serve as an inspiration, and the pedagogical practices of Project Zero might serve as a foundation. One thing led to another, and, with the invaluable help of a philanthropic organization called The Abundance Foundation, a new educational initiative was launched to coincide with the commencement of Paul’s walk. For most of its existence the program was called Out of Eden Learn, echoing the name of Paul’s project. Recently it has been renamed The Open Canopy, to reflect the wider thematic scope that has evolved over the years and the diversity of initiatives it encompasses. We have since had other generous funders and thought partners, including a peer organization called Global Cities, Inc. which is an initiative of Bloomberg Philanthropies. But Paul’s journalism, along with the work of other writers and artists, remains an inspiration.
Why the name, The Open Canopy? A canopy–in English at least–has two primary meanings. First, it means a protective covering intended to shade people or bring them together. In this spirit, The Open Canopy promotes teaching and learning that offers a nurturing environment for students, one where they feel welcomed and recognized as individuals while engaging with diverse peers who feel similarly welcomed and recognized. The second meaning of canopy refers to the treetop layer of a forest, be it the dense canopy of the Amazonian jungle, the light-dappled branches of a temperate deciduous forest, or the snow- encrusted caps of conifers on a mountainside. In forest science, the term open canopy refers to a specific type of treetop covering: one that allows shafts of light to penetrate through to the forest floor, creating a conducive environment for new growth. What began as a collaboration with a solo journalist–Paul Salopek–has expanded over the years to become an “open canopy” that includes new partners and diverse projects.
Download a free copy of The Open Canopy Handbook.