19 September 2022
10:00-20:00 EDT
Introducing: The Transforming Education Action Group
Our 2022 Big Brainstorm launched eight Action Groups, each dedicated to furthering one of The Unlock Coalition’s key focus areas.
Mobilized by Transforming Education Next Generation Fellows Alice and Thaís, this Action Group is made up of people passionate about reforming education policies, responding to the needs of young people today, and equipping the world’s youth with the skills they need to navigate the future.
Since the Big Brainstorm, the Transforming Education Action Group has been exploring opportunities for joint advocacy, campaigns, and messaging with the world’s leading education stakeholders to give young people a central role in designing and delivering the summit, and promoting accountability for its results.
Action Group Work
Letter to the Deputy Secretary-General
At the invitation of the Deputy Secretary-General, the Action Group has submitted a letter outlining the priorities that young people have for the summit and how they can be meaningfully engaged in the lead up to the event, which has been shared with the Deputy Secretary-General and colleagues at UNESCO.
The Action Group leaders are also meeting with Leonardo Garnier, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for the Transforming Education Summit, to discuss their proposals.
Letters to governments
The Next Generation Fellows and some members of the Action Group have written letters to governments encouraging them to attend and commit to transforming education. Read the letters below.
Next Generations Fellows to the Permanent Missions to the United Nations
Josh Marikopo to the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe
Himanshu Kumar to the Prime Minister of India
Franco Rashid to the President of the Republic of Uganda
Azeez Abubakar to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Sushmina Baidya to the Prime Minister of Nepal
Srijani Datta to the Prime Minister of India
Kaigama Ismael to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Cameroon
What can you do?
If you are inspired by the Action Group’s letters, why not write a letter to your government representative too?
What we suggest you include in your letter:
- Who you are and why you are reaching out. What is your concern with the educational systems?
- The top three changes you would like to see in education. You can use the group submission attached as your basis.
- Why engaging in the Transforming Education Summit is essential to start implementing these changes
- Ask them to make their pledge – officially called “National Statements of Commitments” – before the summit. Please note the deadline is August.
If you’re happy to record yourself reading your letter, we would love to see it. Please post on your social media and tag us @OurFutureAgenda
Pre-Summit
Friday 28-30 June was the Transforming Education Pre-Summit in Paris. Next Generation Fellow Alice Mukashyaka, Our Future Agenda Advisor Aish Machani, members of the Transforming Education Action Group, and several Unlock the Future coalition partners made their mark at this milestone event, signaling the beginning of international efforts to reimagine our education systems for the 21st century and beyond.
Next Generation Fellow Alice Mukashyaka shared the stage with the First Lady of Colombia and Ministers from Malawi, Fiji, and Bangladesh as she expressed young people’s priorities for Transforming Education at a side event on “Rewiring Education for People and Planet”.
Find out more about Alice’s experience at the Pre-Summit here:
Leadership Lab
With a focus on exploring the role of Youth Civil Society in transforming education, the Leadership Lab took the form of an interactive online session designed to foster collaboration, share leadership skills and unearth essential insights for transforming education from the youth perspective.
Launched by the Youth Collective and Restless Development, key findings of the Leadership Lab session included the importance of recovering learning losses from the pandemic, investment in the ongoing professional development of teachers and the role of strong foundations, both in individual literacy, as well as in the support and understanding offered by Governments, UN agencies and Multilateral organizations.
