ICA x YOUTHTOPIA: a long-term collaboration to reframe professional development

If learners are experts in learning, why don’t we ask them what great teaching feels like?

It’s a simple question yet one not often considered by senior leadership teams in schools. Professional development is usually evaluated through course attendance and completion, strategic implementation, and solely educator feedback. Though these metrics track valuable progress, they don’t always capture the impact felt in the classroom by learners.

We are excited to announce the extension of our partnership with YOUTHTOPIA, the global learning platform empowering young activists, leaders and movement builders. This collaboration builds on the inspiring conversations started at our International Curriculum Conference last year, where YOUTHTOPIA co-founder, Melati Wijsen, delivered an incredibly inspiring keynote on how we can shape tomorrow’s education for the betterment of both learners and the planet.

We are now collaborating to reconsider professional learning through the learner’s lens, because real educational progress requires listening to the voices that matter most. We are excited to collaborate with YOUTHTOPIA’s young changemakers and, using the themes and pathways of our PD Hub as a starting point, we welcome school leaders and educators to reflect on:

• Which educator behaviours genuinely shape learner experience
• What meaningful learning environments feel like from a learner’s perspective
• How schools successfully build student agency, participation and belonging

“We are excited to build on our partnership with YOUTHTOPIA and reinvigorate conversations around professional development. When we bring educator and student voices and perspectives together, we don’t just gather feedback, but we create the kind of insight that transforms classrooms. That is the impact that we are striving for in our Subscriber Schools.”

– Clare Sutton, Community and Partnerships Manager, International Curriculum Association

To mark the launch of this collaboration, we are hosting a free interactive webinar with young changemakers from YOUTHTOPIA to enable real-world scenario discussions.

Get to What Matters: Learning from Learners

What learners can teach us about great teaching and better professional learning

Tuesday 22 September

09:00 (BST)

Location: Zoom

What attendees can expect:

• Fresh perspectives: gain insight into how young people experience the effects of educator growth.
• Informed reflection: take aways to evaluate how your professional learning connects directly to student experience.
• Inspiring opportunities: understand how we plan to develop professional learning moving forwards.

Registration has opened for the launch event. Be part of the conversation.

Secure your place