IF THE GOVERNMENT is serious about equipping future generations with the tools they need to succeed in the real world, it must incorporate collaborative learning, critical thinking and creativity into the national curriculum.

In a world grappling with unprecedented challenges — from climate change and inequality to mental health crises and technological disruption — it’s clear that no single organisation, government or individual has all the answers. Yet, despite the pressing need for fresh solutions, we often rely on siloed approaches, leaving untapped one of our greatest resources: the power of mass collaboration.

Mass collaboration is not just about getting more people into the conversation; it’s about rethinking how we approach problem-solving altogether. It requires diverse voices, the ability to think creatively and systems that support innovation. And it works. Around the globe, examples of this approach are yielding extraordinary results.

Lessons from global collaboration

Globally, mass collaboration is driving some of the most ambitious projects of our time. Consider Wikipedia. In an era when trust in information is under siege, this open-source platform has become one of the most widely used and reliable repositories of knowledge in human history. How? Through collective effort. Tens of thousands of volunteers worldwide contribute to curating and verifying information, demonstrating how a decentralised, collaborative approach can outperform traditional, hierarchical systems.

Similarly, the Human Genome Project, a 13-year endeavour to map the human genome, brought together scientists from 20 institutions across six countries. By pooling their expertise and resources, they achieved a groundbreaking milestone that has since transformed medicine.

Even in crises, mass collaboration has proven its value. During the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, an informal global network of scientists, doctors and policymakers came together to share data in real time, fast-tracking vaccine development and saving countless lives.

These examples show that when we prioritise collaboration over competition, we can achieve outcomes that would be impossible in isolation. Yet, for all its successes, the full potential of mass collaboration remains unrealised in many areas of society.

The Irish context

Here in Ireland, we often take pride in our creativity and adaptability. Yet, our systems — particularly in education — haven’t fully embraced the power of collaboration. Creativity is consistently ranked among the top skills required for future workforces by organisations like the World Economic Forum, but our traditional education system still prioritises rote learning over critical thinking.

This is where mass collaboration could transform the way we prepare young people for the future. We bring this concept to life in the work we do. Our free, multi-award-winning programme connects thousands of 15–19-year-olds with hundreds of industry professionals, encouraging them to tackle real-world challenges like mental health, hidden poverty and climate change.

By combining the lived experiences of young people with the expertise of professionals, we’re fostering creative thinking that isn’t confined to the classroom. This collaborative and contemporary approach not only equips students with critical skills but also generates solutions with tangible, community-wide impact. For example, one of our recent projects tackled food waste in local schools, resulting in practical recommendations that have already been adopted.

Collaboration: Beyond tokenism

However, true collaboration requires more than putting people in the same room — or on the same Zoom call. It demands a mindset shift.

Mass collaboration thrives on diversity, and not just in the surface-level sense of ticking demographic boxes. It requires genuine inclusion of perspectives across age, experience, geography and expertise. This is why youth voices are crucial. Young people often see the world differently; they are not bound by the assumptions or habits that constrain older generations.

At the same time, collaboration must also be structured. The right frameworks, platforms, and facilitation are essential to ensure that collaboration doesn’t devolve into chaos or become tokenistic. In The B!G Idea, we achieve this by using a bespoke EdTech platform that provides clear workflows, milestones, and access to resources while enabling creativity to flourish.

Collaboration as a cultural shift

To fully realise the potential of mass collaboration, we must embed it into our culture. This means teaching it as a skill from a young age, valuing it in workplaces and rewarding it in broader society.

Look at the gaming community, where platforms like Twitch and Discord are thriving hubs of collaboration. Gamers who have never met in person are solving complex problems together, from defeating digital enemies to coding entirely new systems. Imagine if that same energy and ingenuity were harnessed to tackle real-world challenges.

Similarly, the rise of open-source software highlights what’s possible when collaboration becomes a core principle. The Linux operating system, for example, powers billions of devices worldwide—not because a corporation developed it, but because a global community believed in building something better together.

Ireland has the potential to lead this shift. We’ve long prided ourselves on our ingenuity, resourcefulness, and community spirit. What if we channelled these traits into creating a society where mass collaboration is the norm?

Empowering education through government action

To fully realise the benefits of mass collaboration in education, the Irish government can play a crucial role by enacting policies that weave critical thinking and creativity into the fabric of the national curriculum.

By allocating funds to collaborative educational initiatives, fostering partnerships across different sectors, and bolstering digital infrastructure, the government can establish a comprehensive national framework that nurtures innovation in learning and development.

Moreover, championing a shift towards cooperative learning and bolstering informal learning settings will promote dynamic problem-solving and practical application of skills. Such strategic initiatives are essential not only to make education relevant to the demands of the contemporary workplace, but also to equip future generations with the necessary tools to address the societal challenges of tomorrow.

A call to action

Mass collaboration isn’t a utopian ideal; it’s a proven method for tackling the complex, interconnected challenges of our time. But it requires intention. It requires systems that empower diverse voices, support creativity, and value collective effort over individual gain.

Whether it’s through initiatives like The B!G Idea or global movements like Wikipedia and the Human Genome Project, the message is clear: our greatest problems are solvable—if we solve them together.

The question isn’t whether mass collaboration works. The question is whether we have the courage to embrace it fully.

Kim Mackenzie-Doyle is founder of The B!G Idea, the award-winning creative thinking education platform. The B!G Idea is a FREE creative thinking skills programme available to Transition Year, Leaving Cert Applied and Youthreach programme participants.