The call for applications is open.

The World Giftedness Center (WGC) of the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance aims to support best practices and distinguished efforts in gifted education, talent development, and related areas. WGC has launched two awards to enhance quality talented education around the world:

• The School Global Award Initiative of Talented Education, which is intended for all those involved in gifted education and talent development from K1 through pre-university, such as teachers, principals and counselors involved in gifted education in public or private schools all over the globe. More detailed information including eligibility and evaluation criteria is available here.
• The Applied Research Global Award of Talented Education, which is intended for international researchers whose work focuses on areas relevant to gifted education and who have a maximum of five years involvement in research after their PhD. More detailed information including eligibility and evaluation criteria is available here.

The deadline for application to both awards is 19 November 2023 and the award prize is of USD 25,000 for each.

Applications should be submitted here, and any questions should be sent to wgc.awards@ha.ae.

Please consult all the information on the official website of the Award.

Happy to teach: Strengthening supportive school communities

Part III of UNESCO’s Happy Schools webinar series

In many school systems, happiness and academic achievement are seen as competing priorities. However, a growing body of global research shows that positive school environments are important levers for long-term learning outcomes and the well-being of students and teachers. Simply put, a happy learner will keep learning and a happy teacher will keep teaching.

UNESCO helps policy-makers understand the vital role of happiness in – and for – learning through the Happy Schools framework. The framework divides the concept of a 'happy school' into 4 pillars: people, process, place and principles. This framework helps governments adopt a system-wide approach to developing holistic policies that enable safe, supportive, and stimulating learning spaces where all students can learn and thrive.

On World Happiness Day 2023, UNESCO kicked off a Happy Schools webinar series to discuss each of the four pillars of framework in a dedicated discussion. This third installment will explore the people pillar to:

• Discuss systemic changes needed to improve relationships between teachers, students, parents, school leaders, staff, community members, and managers to establish and sustain positive learning environments where teachers are happy to teach and students are happy to learn.
• Share perspectives from around the world on the importance of supporting teacher well-being by strengthening the happiness of the school environment and attractiveness of the teaching profession.
• Encourage all to join Happy Schools in partnership and commit to happiness and a whole school approach to learning as the foundation of quality education.

Strong school-based relationships are the foundation of positive learning environments and outcomes. This webinar will celebrate World Teacher’s Day by highlighting the critical need to strengthen relationships between teachers, students, families, staff, communities and managers to ensure schools are happy places to teach and to learn.

Participants: Policy-makers, development partners, researchers, school leaders, teachers, young people and their guardians.

Format & session logistics: The webinar will take place on Zoom in English and Spanish.

Register here to participate

The recent raise of conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications such as ChatGPT is raising questions among educators and education leaders: how to deal with AI-related plagiarism? Should these tools be banned from schools? Is it possible to integrate them safely and effectively in teaching settings? How to build critical knowledge on AI systems among educators, to make sure that the management of educational data is secure, privacy-proof and used for the common good?

AI tools can potentially enhance teaching, learning and assessment, but at the same time they must be handled with care, to avoid harmful consequences.

The webinar will focus on the concept of Ethical AI, that is the development, deployment and use of AI that ensures compliance with ethical norms, principles and core values. Specifically, the recent “Ethical guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence and data in teaching and learning for educators” by the European Commission will be presented and illustrated with practical examples.  

At the end of the webinar, an open session will take place to collect ideas from the members of the ETF Community of Innovative Educators on new activities to be developed within the community.

Please register at this link.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought forth educational transformation overnight, resulting in increased digitalization and the rise of online and hybrid learning. It also brought on challenges such as inequity in access to education and learning loss.

The “Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum on the Future of Education” will be convened on 24-26 May 2023, via video conference, to discuss inclusive recovery from the challenges brought on by the pandemic and explore steps to invest in the future of education. The ASEAN Secretariat will host the forum virtually, as it will shape the Future of Education Flagship Reports and Policy Briefs, which will include future-oriented insights, recommendations, and pathways for the transformation of education toward attaining ASEAN Education 2050.

The ASEAN Regional Forum on the Future of Education” will discuss 3 thematic areas: 

• Transforming Education Agendas: Building the Future We Want
• Teacher Development: Innovations and Best Practices for the Future of Education and Beyond
• Inclusive ASEAN 2050: Building Equitable Societies and Learning Cities

On 25th May, the session entitled "THE FUTURE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING" will be led by the Teacher Development Chief of Section and the Head of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 Secretariat M. Carlos Vargas, as he will present the impacts of the developments in the educational technologies brought about by the 4th industrial revolution on the future of education in the region. Teacher education experts on ICT will be invited to define the connection between learning, teaching, new education goals, and employability. 

For more information and to register, visit the official website of the conference.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought forth educational transformation overnight, resulting in increased digitalization and the rise of online and hybrid learning. It also brought on challenges such as inequity in access to education and learning loss.

The “Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum on the Future of Education” will be convened on 24-26 May 2023, via video conference, to discuss inclusive recovery from the challenges brought on by the pandemic and explore steps to invest in the future of education. The ASEAN Secretariat will host the forum virtually, as it will shape the Future of Education Flagship Reports and Policy Briefs, which will include future-oriented insights, recommendations, and pathways for the transformation of education toward attaining ASEAN Education 2050.

The ASEAN Regional Forum on the Future of Education” will discuss 3 thematic areas: 

• Transforming Education Agendas: Building the Future We Want
• Teacher Development: Innovations and Best Practices for the Future of Education and Beyond
• Inclusive ASEAN 2050: Building Equitable Societies and Learning Cities

On 25th May, the session entitled "THE FUTURE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING" will be led by the Teacher Development Chief of Section and the Head of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 Secretariat M. Carlos Vargas, as he will present the impacts of the developments in the educational technologies brought about by the 4th industrial revolution on the future of education in the region. Teacher education experts on ICT will be invited to define the connection between learning, teaching, new education goals, and employability. 

For more information and to register, visit the official website of the conference.

The Organization of American States (OAS) alliance with ProFuturo invite you to the launch of the Virtual Map and the presentation of the report “Digital Education in the Americas: Good Practices for Inspiration”.

Learn about the most innovative experiences in the use of new digital technologies for Education that are taking place in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In the event, you will discover the main findings of the Mapping of Good Practices in Digital Education of the Americas carried out in 2022, which aimed to highlight the initiatives of educational institutions and Civil Society Organizations from Latin America and the Caribbean that, during the pandemic, promoted learning opportunities and generated a positive impact in the academic community.

Watch the event streamed here.