This book showcases the Growth, Identity, Nurturing nature, Genuine connection, Experientia, and Reciprocity (GINGER) model, a pioneering, evidence-informed framework designed to transform primary education by enhancing students’ holistic development (wellbeing, engagement, sense of belonging, and academic) through a nature lens. It presents a holistic reimagining of primary education and addresses ongoing challenges in education, such as student disengagement, mental health concerns, and academic underperformance, through a flexible, adaptable model designed for diverse school contexts. Notably, this book also challenges its Western conceptualization through a thoughtful collaboration with an Aboriginal Elder. This intercultural process led to the reimagining of GINGER’s visual representation, embedding Indigenous ways of knowing and a profound connection to Country. This cultural revisioning exemplifies the model’s dynamic capacity to evolve through dialogue with diverse worldviews, offering readers a rare insight into how education frameworks can be respectfully decolonized and made more inclusive. By integrating ecological sustainability and intercultural respect into its core, GINGER contributes to global efforts to nurture environmentally responsible, socially connected, and mentally healthy future generations. Its adaptability across cultural and geographical contexts, supported by ongoing commitments to intercultural learning and validation, positions it as a valuable resource for educators and policymakers worldwide who are striving to address complex educational challenges holistically and innovatively.

Alexandra Harper is a Ph.D. candidate at Western Sydney University Australia. She has master degrees in applied positive psychology and education policy (international) and over 30 years’ experience working as a primary school teacher, executive school leader, academic, and policymaker. Her areas of expertise, research, and interest are connecting children to nature, loose parts play and designing innovative school playgrounds, schools, and practices with affordances for student agency and competence. She is also interested in the power of professional learning networks to connect and uplift teachers’ joy, sense of community, and professional practice. Alexandra’s contributions to education have been recognized through being awarded a NSW Premier’s Teacher Scholarship, Endeavour Executive Leadership Award (from the Australian Government), and being named a top 50 finalist in the inaugural Global Teacher Prize.

Pasi Sahlberg is a professor in Educational Leadership at the University of Melbourne, Australia, whose career-long commitment to improving education for all has been grounded in a deep belief in children’s learning, wellbeing, and the developmental power of play. His books include "Finnish Lessons", "Let the Children Play", and "In Teachers We Trust", which  highlight how play fosters both academic excellence and human flourishing. Internationally recognized with awards such as the Grawemeyer Award, the Lego Prize, and Global Educator Award, Pasi’s work bridges research, policy and practice while championing a simple but powerful idea: that education systems must nurture curiosity, joy, and wellbeing through play if they are to build better futures for every child.

Professor Tonia Gray is a senior researcher in eco-pedagogies experience-based and outdoor education at Western Sydney University's School of Education, Australia. Tonia is a multi-award-winning educator and researcher, and has written extensively on nature-based practices in teacher education and curriculum reform. As a leading national voice, her career has been devoted to infusing outdoor learning into the Australian Curriculum over many decades.