Solutionary [suh-LOO-shuh ner-ee]
Noun: Someone who identifies inhumane, unjust, and unsustainable societal systems and then develops solutions to transform them so that they do the most good and least harm for people, animals, and the environment.
Adjective: Pertaining to or characterized by solving problems in a strategic, systemic way that does the most good and least harm to people, animals, and the environment.
A better world is possible. We can develop sustainable and humane food, production, energy, and other systems. We can end poverty and treat all people equitably. We can learn to solve conflicts without violence and create enduring peace. We can usher in a culture of compassion toward animals, slow the rate of extinction, and restore ecosystems.
But this transformation doesn’t happen by chance. It begins when people are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to engage thoughtfully and courageously with the challenges we face. At the Institute for Humane Education (IHE), we focus much of our work on schools—helping students develop these capacities through education. Yet the invitation is open to all. At any age, we can choose to become solutionaries—and help shape a more just, compassionate, and sustainable future.
The four phases of the framework guide you to:
I. Identify a problem you are passionate about
II. Investigate the problem, its causes and impacts
III. Innovate solutions that do the most good and least harm
IV. Implement your solution and iterate for continued impact
For the most detailed path on how to become a solutionary, read The Solutionary Way: Transform Your Life, Your Community, and the World for the Better, written by IHE Co-founder and President Zoe Weil.
“I am convinced that we must address the critical issues that this book highlights. There are dire problems facing us, but a better world is possible if we become solutionaries. As you read this book, keep this rallying cry in your heart: Together we can! Together we will! Together we must!”
– Dr. Jane Goodall
Listen to IHE Co-founder and President Zoe Weil interview people on the forefront of building a more humane, just, and healthy world for all people, animals, and ecosystems that sustain life. Guests embody what it means to be a solutionary: someone who identifies inhumane, unjust, and unsustainable systems and works to transform them in ways that do the most good and least harm for all.
Humanitarians focus on alleviating immediate suffering, whether for humans or animals, through actions like volunteering, donating, or community service. Solutionaries certainly engage in humanitarian work, but they are dedicated to changing the systems that cause problems. They aim to solve hunger, pollution, and cruelty at their source, while also taking direct actions that reduce suffering.
Watch Zoe Weil’s one-hour webinar for a deeper understanding of how solutionaries choose and address problems.
You can become a solutionary by learning to identify the root and systemic causes of problems, considering the impacts of these problems on people, animals, and the environment, and creating solutions that do the most good and the least harm. Start by choosing an issue you care about, researching it thoughtfully, listening to diverse perspectives, and taking action—whether through education, advocacy, innovation, or community collaboration.
Becoming a solutionary isn’t rocket science, but it isn’t easy either. It requires dedication, and it’s helpful to have a support system. At IHE, we provide resources, training, and guidance to help you take the next step in your solutionary journey. The resources offered on these pages are a great starting point.
Teaching the next generation to be solutionaries is a powerful lever for positive change. To start, you can watch this short animated video with your students to spark excitement about becoming solutionaries.
Our Solutionary Toolkit helps educators facilitate student-led learning projects that teach solutionary thinking and empower students to address real-world challenges in humane and sustainable ways. It walks educators step-by-step through the Solutionary Framework, with classroom-ready strategies, teaching tools, prompts, and project ideas that can be integrated in a variety of teaching settings.
Educators can also enroll in our online Solutionary Micro-Credential Course to receive guided support from experienced facilitators and connect with a community of teachers integrating the framework into their curricula.
“Changing the world one child at a time.” Those words have inspired my work for more than four decades in education, and they continue to inspire me now. We are at a pivotal point in the evolution of our world. We are facing a climate crisis, a health crisis, a crisis of racial justice, a crisis in our treatment of animals, a crisis of media bias. The list goes on. And perhaps our greatest crisis is our consistent struggle as a society to simply come together respectfully, intelligently, and ethically to solve our problems and save our planet. We need solutionaries. We need young people who have been educated not only to think critically, creatively, and systemically about real-world issues, but also to be passionate, persistent, and humane in their implementation of real-world solutions. And that is IHE’s mission: to support teachers and educational institutions in preparing young people to become solutionaries – and the next caretakers of our planet.
IHE offers a healing vision and a tangible pathway forward for a struggling world. As Executive Director, I am excited, humbled, and deeply honored to join with others to promote that vision and that pathway in ways that make them foundational to systems of education throughout the world – and to each child who is committed to making that world a better place.
Passionate about preparing young people to lead lives of joy and purpose, Steve Cochrane has had a remarkable journey through the field of education. It is a journey that has taken him from the campus of Princeton University, where he served as an admissions officer and an assistant dean of students, to the classroom of a public elementary school, where he had the privilege of teaching – and learning from – his fourth and fifth grade students. Steve has been a dorm director and associate dean of admissions at Wheelock College in Boston. He has also been an elementary school principal, a middle school principal, an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, and, prior to his work at IHE, he was the superintendent of the Princeton Public Schools in Princeton, New Jersey where he was honored with the award of County Superintendent of the Year. In each of these roles, Steve has collaborated with others to prioritize innovations in learning, wellness for students, equity, and a belief that every child should be supported and inspired to achieve their highest potential.
Steve received his undergraduate degree in English from Princeton University and his master’s degree in educational administration from Harvard. He is a competitive road cyclist who also enjoys the thrill of mountain biking. Steve and his wife are both vegans and advocates for holistic health. They currently reside in Spencerport, New York, with their two dogs and a very large Maine Coon cat.
