Futures in the making
Insights from the Hundred Innovation Summit 2024
Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Helsinki, Finland, to attend the HundrED Innovation Summit. This annual event gathers 250 educators, innovators, policymakers, and thought leaders from across the globe to collaborate, share ideas, and celebrate ground-breaking advancements shaping the future of education. It is a gathering like no other as it places the beautiful risk of innovation at its core and rarely deviates.
Innovating at the cutting edge can be a lonely endeavour. Those who innovate and push the boundaries of contemporary classroom thinking know this only too well. We need rebel ideas in education but those brave innovators are often met with resistance as the established ‘ways of doing’ prevail. Many of our education systems are in a state of arrested development, glacial and slow to adapt. This is why gatherings like this one are so important as they show us there are many creative ways to inspire children.
The theme for this year's gathering was ‘Futures in the Making’ - a fitting title given the agency ‘future-speak’ is given in educational arenas around the world. However, merely speaking about the future, and doing something about it are entirely different propositions. At this years event, AI was mentioned, but it was not the main theme. Refreshingly, the educators I met with championed the human over the machine and saw hope in the unknown. From the fireside chats to the formal meals people shared ideas, expertise and passion. The energy was infectious, reminding me of my own classes back in school.
Reflections
I feel there are some insights worth sharing in wider educational arenas so will share the emerging themes in the post to spark some conversation.
The HundrED Global Collection 2024 showcased 100 education innovations from around the world, focusing on key themes that reflect evolving priorities in education. Over a quarter of the selected innovations highlighted EdTech and Artificial Intelligence, demonstrating their role in bridging access barriers and enhancing learning experiences. A dozen innovations emphasised teacher agency through professional development, empowering educators to take ownership of their growth and instructional practices. Another cluster focused on future skills, such as social and emotional learning, to equip students for an ever-changing world. Additionally, ten innovations in each category addressed inclusivity and wellbeing, tackling issues like gender equality, bullying prevention, student voice, mental health, and learning environments. Collectively, these themes underscore the importance of technology integration, teacher empowerment, skill development, and holistic education.
I feel the themes above tell a story, one that the speakers, workshops and conversations held the narrative for. Let’s take a closer look.
Literature of the Future
Against a backdrop of technological innovation (the growth of AI) - schools are still holding onto the language of schooling. Schools are still core social centres but there appears to be a disconnect between those schools embracing AI-speak, and those being left behind. Olli-Pekka Heinonen told a captive audience that ‘AI is an ontological shock’. In an era where "to chat" has evolved into a verb synonymous with interacting with ChatGPT, this message struck a particularly powerful chord.
Other talks meandered around human flourishing and readiness for a future that is yet to arrive. What it means to be human in the age of machines then is a pressing issue of our times. A constant theme of HundrEd summits, both past and present is the issue of equity. When it comes to this delicate issue - we know children sit either side of a needless dividing line. As we race towards a digital horizon, we must work to ensure young people don’t find themselves on the wrong side of this needless dividing line. It was fascinating to learn how educators globally are walking the immersive wire.
In 2021, it was the HundrED community that connected me to Daniel, a teacher in Ghana. He reached out to ask me about our Future Classroom project. Fast-forward 3-years and we now work collaboratively in join students together from the UK and Ghana. Weekly lessons take place on Zoom at an agreed time so children can learn, grow and flourish despite being a continent apart. This is what HundrED does best - connect people and ideas.
A powerful talk from Damilola Okonkwo reminded us that even in the most challenging educational settings, we must teach in creative ways. Her words ‘you cannot memorise your way out of poverty’ will stay with me, poignant and cutting. When other speakers took the stage there was a vulnerability and rawness to their stories. Many have overcome the impossible to provide an education for the most in need. From schools in war-stricken areas educational camps in Cartel country - these folks are doing everything in their power to create hope for our children.
HundrED_Helsinki2_1091_kuvaaja_pyryantero
Only 5 in 100 innovations scale
In a sobering address from Larry Cooley and a panel of experts about implementing innovation at scale, we learned that about 5% of innovation born scale. The reality being innovation is hard. My take away from this being successful innovation take 10-15 years to realise their potential, so endurance is required. Thinking about my own projects in this timeframe - it seems we are at the embryonic stage, and there will be many more bumps in the road.
Future competencies
This conference had a way of pulling you back to the future. In a session titled How Finland is recreating their education systems for the future, Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz reflected on Finland’s reputation as a global rockstar for education (my words, not his). If you're familiar with education, you'll know that Finland has long been celebrated for its top performance in the PISA league tables, sparking global curiosity about its schools and teaching practices. Despite this, Finland has seen a decade of decline in outcomes in core subjects, the disadvantage gap has widened and students grapple with mental health issues in the same way as their peers do in other corners of the globe. In Finland, they believe that the best school is the one closest to you. I love this! Anders shared an insight that captures the feeling of this event.
‘There is nothing we can do to change the past, but everything we do will change the future’
Profound yet fitting. It seems the right way to finish a summary of the Finnish education system. Like other countries - Finland is poised to see what awaits. Equipping our children now to help them in the future was the big message from this inspiring event. Now, let’s get to work safe in the knowledge change happens over decades. Be the change!
Footnote
Thanks again to the team at HundrEd who put together a great event over 3 days. I attend many conferences, and organise a fair few. This is a special one and I am grateful to be part of a forward facing community.
If you are interested in the messy act of innovation - join the HundrED community. You can find out more here: Community
If you would like to find out more about the Innovations I have worked on, you can click the links below:
The Future Classroom Project Click
The Ghana Project Click
But, how are educators globally dealing with this, and what is this literature of that future?
On reflection, there some themes that I feel are useful to share with the wider world as they resonate with other messages I feel education needs to receive.
Education’s evolution relies on the voices of young individuals, whose perspectives and ideas are essential in shaping meaningful change. As Natalia Kallio aptly said, "Young people are not just the future; they are present today." Their insights must be at the heart of decision-making, ensuring education systems address their needs, aspirations, and realities. By actively engaging young people in the design and planning of educational innovations, we can create systems that truly empower and reflect the diverse experiences of those they serve.
The educators I met are Innovators disrupting from the inside out, they make noise and change lives in the process. What keeps me returning to this special gathering is the incredible diversity of the audience. I’m in awe of how some individuals remain agile within constraints, overcoming seemingly insurmountable barriers—and still, they prevail.