Education House UNGA 81: Coming Together for Education for Sustainable Development

Across 35 sessions led by 120 organizations, nearly 1000 participants explored some of the most pressing questions facing education today, from human flourishing and the purpose of education, to student leadership, the role of teachers and school leaders, artificial intelligence, equity and inclusion, collective leadership and education financing.

At its heart was a shared belief: that making progress in sustainable development through education requires people across organizations, sectors, geographies and perspectives to learn with and from one another, and to create the relationships from which new ideas and collaboration can grow.

Starting with a shared question

The day opened with this question: What will it take to equip students to shape a better future?

In a moment marked by rapid technological change, geopolitical uncertainty and growing pressure on education systems, Wendy Kopp, CEO and Co-founder of Teach For All, reflected on the opportunity to rethink what education should make possible for every young person, inviting participants to look beyond what students need to know, and towards who they need to become.

That question was then brought to life through the perspectives of Churchill Joseph Samuel, drawing on his experience as a teacher in Malaysia; Eva Mkhitaryan, a student leader from Armenia; and George Papandreou, Prime Minister of Greece 2009-11 and a former education minister.

Their reflections pointed to several ideas that would echo throughout the day: the importance of developing students holistically; creating spaces where young people can practise leadership and agency in an age of AI; and enabling young people to see themselves as capable of shaping the world around them.

Participants were also invited to respond to the shared question, What will it take to equip students to shape a better future?, by engaging with this listening tool.

Different conversations, connected questions

Across the programme, attendees explored how to redefine success around human flourishing and broader student outcomes; enable students, teachers and school leaders to act as changemakers; and respond to AI while strengthening distinctly human capabilities. Participants also examined questions of equity and inclusion, education financing, collaboration across institutions, and what it takes to move promising ideas towards meaningful change at scale.

Bringing student voices to the centre

One theme that cut across many conversations was the need to place students themselves much closer to the centre of discussions about education’s future.

Throughout the day, young people contributed their own experiences, perspectives and aspirations, challenging adults in the room to consider not only what education systems want for students, but what students themselves say they need in order to thrive and contribute.

Creating the conditions for connection

Some of the most valuable moments at Education House also happened between sessions.

Across connection spaces, hallways, coffee breaks and the closing reception, participants reconnected with longstanding collaborators, met people working on similar questions in entirely different contexts, and began conversations that may continue well beyond UNGA week.

What comes next

Education House will next convene on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos on the 19th January, 2027, followed by Oxford in April 2027 alongside the Skoll World Forum, creating further opportunities to deepen these conversations and bring new voices into them.

The partnership deck for Education House Davos 2027 is available here. If you are interested in supporting Education House or finding out more about future opportunities to engage, please contact Matt Gillespie at matt.gillespie@teachforall.org in the first instance.