In autumn, Bucharest will host Dare to Learn (D2L) – the largest event in Europe dedicated to teachers. It will take place on October 25 and 26 this year and will bring to the stage in Bucharest more than 20 international leaders – among the biggest names in world education, experts who will hold masterclasses and debates based on successfully applied educational models and methods in educational institutions and organizations around the world.
The event of the year in education was discussed at length today, April 2nd, in a dedicated press conference, focusing on the role, objectives and expected impact of this landmark summit for the local market and Eastern Europe in terms of the future of learning. There were speakers Radu Szekely (President of the Dare to Learn Foundation and organizer of the Dare to Learn event, former Secretary of State in the Ministry of Education and co-founder of the Finnish School ERI Sibiu), Liliana Romaniuc (President of the Romanian Literacy Association and organizer of the event), Mara Niculescu (Teach for Romania Communications Director), Elena Lorraine (Director Finnish Teacher Training Center and partner of the event) and Alexandra Maier (Sustainability Manager ING Bank Romania and presenting partner of the event).
Among the topics discussed at the conference were innovative approaches to learning, relevant for 21st century students, the approach to diversity and equity from the perspective of some success factors for the school, the relevance of international research in the field of learning, visible learning and at the organizational level in the quality of the educational act, the use of technological tools to remove barriers to learning and the importance of integrating artificial intelligence in school and lifelong learning.
“We set out to create, through the newly established Dare to Learn Foundation and through the partnership we presented today, a framework to connect teachers, researchers and experts in pre-university and university education in Romania with global leaders in education. It will be the first time that many of these world-class speakers will be on the same stage, and this will happen in Bucharest, which makes us happy. The event is, in fact, the cover we open to launch a new movement, dedicated to exploring and promoting innovative approaches in education, connecting the latest developments in pedagogy, research and technology with the need to make learning more relevant and accessible for all. We are all tired of analyzing what is not working and what we could change here and there. The event and what will follow it mean contexts in which the participants engage in discussions and collaborative projects, partnerships and pilots that will catalyze an updated learning model“, declare Radu Szekely, President of the Dare to Learn Foundation.
“Among the more than 300 factors that influence learning, teacher and teaching quality are the factors with the greatest impact on learning. This is what the studies tell us, and this is also the experience of most of us – we learned with love in the subjects where we had teachers who taught clearly and rigorously, evaluated objectively and involved us in learning. Discipline and rules were not missing from all this approach. These things are present in classes where visible learning takes place, in high-performing schools, in terms of each student's learning progress, in educational systems that measure the impact of any improvement effort. This is what we want to bring to schools in our country as well”, add Prof. Liliana Romaniuc, founder of the Richard Wrumbrand College and president of the Romanian Literacy Association.
“The model introduced by the partners of this movement for education, Dare to Learn, is a collaborative one that emphasizes innovative alternatives that work and gives confidence that evolution is possible. The initiative is in line with ING's efforts for financial health, through which we aim for partnerships that support the development of teachers and school principals for better school management. I think that through the collaboration of these experts in education, who are starting this movement today, considerable foundations are laid for a culture of permanent learning”. claims Alexandra Maier, Sustainability Manager ING Bank Romania.
“We really want to turn this event into an annual one, with tradition“, points out Elena Lotrean, Director Finnish Teacher Training Centre.
“PISA reports, data and our 10-year experience in hundreds of vulnerable schools in Romania clearly show us that teachers are the foundation of a quality education system. Their motivation, training, openness to feedback and continuous learning, and genuine interest in teaching for the benefit of all students are key ingredients for students' meaningful hours at school. Moreover, we know that this is the case anywhere in the world, from the most challenged communities in India, Nigeria, Europe, Australia or America. We are excited to bring educational leaders from the Teach for All network from all these countries and regions who demonstrate that well-trained teachers and a belief in the success of every child produce results anywhere in the world“, CONSIDERS Iuliana Pielmus, Executive Director of Teach for Romania.
About the event of the year in education
Dare to Learn was designed as a training program in which more than 4,000 participants are expected. The first edition will be held for two days, on October 25 and 26 this year, at Romexpo, in the Capital, and will be the largest event in Europe dedicated to teachers, but also to experts in pre-university and university education, trainers in the field of continuing education, researchers, those working in human resources in corporations or companies, as well as specialists in local institutions and government actors.
The summit will feature four panels dedicated to education professionals, focused on insights and perspectives on leveraging psychology research, technologies used in emerging economies, and pioneering approaches to create transformative learning experiences.
Dare to Learn will bring together more than 20 local and international speakers who aim to reveal the latest results of studies and research in educational practices. New ideas and technologies will be presented that are reshaping the way the learning process is carried out today. Participants will be encouraged to adopt new tools and shape lifelong learning ecosystems, adapting to a future marked by competition between artificial and natural intelligence, as well as democratized access to information. During the two days of the event, 32 masterclasses, organized on various topics, will be supported by experts who have left their mark on the way the learning process is carried out (in the classroom or in the organizational environment), who have remove barriers to make education equitable.
Among the international speakers – considered opinion leaders, academics, researchers in educational leadership, trailblazers in terms of access to education and visionaries in the field of artificial intelligence, pioneers who have redefined the field of learning through revolutionary ideas and practices – there are names of reference in accelerating learning: John Hattie, Peter SengeSugata Mitra, Vicky Colbert, Zack Kass, Graham Brown-Martin, Charles LeadBeater, Niko Herlin, Henri Muurimaa, Diana Laufenberg, Cami Anderson and Ng Aik Yang. The full list of speakers, as well as more information about them and their performances, will be communicated in the coming period.
At the same time, within the event there will be areas dedicated to one-to-one meetings and networking between participants and speakers, as well as a large exhibition area dedicated to the partners of this event (book launch, debates by authorities, stands with company activities, etc.) .
Participation in the event will be subject to fees that will be announced in the coming weeks. Until April 25, registration is open exclusively to staff from the pre-university and university education system. Teachers and education staff benefit from a dedicated period and preferential rates, as well as the time needed to obtain the necessary approvals and funding to participate in the event. Starting from April 25, tickets will also be available to the general public (other professional categories, except for those in education), online, on the platform www.d2l.ro.
The Dare to Learn event is the result of a partnership between Foundation Dare to Learn, Romanian Literacy Association (ARL Romania), Teach for Romania and Finnish Teacher Training Centre.
ING Bank Romania is the presenting partner of the event.
EducaciePrivată.ro is the main media partner of the event. The list of media partners also includes Antena, 3 CNN, Hotnews.ro, Adevarul.ro and Stiripesurse.ro.
More details about registration, masterclasses and speakers can be found on www.d2l.ro and on the social media pages dedicated to the summit: Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. New information about the speakers and the full agenda of the event will be communicated in the next period.
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About the Dare to Learn Foundation
Dare to Learn Foundation is a non-governmental organization that promotes and supports innovation in education and lifelong learning to remove any barrier to an individual's learning. Through innovative approaches and technologies, the Foundation aims to eliminate the impact of geographic constraints, socio-economic disparities, multigenerational cycles of educational failure, enabling individuals of all backgrounds and ages to engage in meaningful and effective learning experiences. In doing so, the Foundation aims to reduce school dropout and the educational gap and empower individuals to reach their full potential, regardless of their circumstances.
The Dare to Learn Foundation is the initiator of the Dare to Learn platform, through which innovative approaches in education are to be piloted, and supports the long-term development of the Dare to Learn event in Romania, where thinkers, world-class personalities, organizational leadership researchers gather and educational, trailblazers in equitable education, as well as visionaries in artificial intelligence.
