Innovation to Transform Education Training – ITET Nigeria, a component of the Global Youth Initiative

UNESCO IESALC’s is one of the UN Agencies, which, alongside students and youth networks, have co-created the Global Youth Initiative (GYI), a multistakeholder partnership to address and propose solutions to the demands set forth by the Transforming Education Summit (TES), held in September 2022 and the recommendations of the Youth Declaration, a collective document built over consultations with more than half a million youth from 170 countries. UNESCO IESALC plays a pivotal role in GYI, as lead of the capacity-building component which aims to equip youth with applied policy skills, project cycle and management skills and innovation skills for education, necessary to drive educational changes at different levels, informed by evidence and contextually sensitive approaches.

For this first edition, 52 young innovators are attending the program, coming from all Nigerian geo-zones. They were selected among more than 2800 applications, through a two-phase selection process that ensured diversity of social backgrounds, multiple educational-level focus and gender parity.

ITET Nigeria is taking place from 20-24 November 2023, at Lagos. The training will be held fully on-site, comprehending six skillsets: Pluralism Assessment; Project Cycle and Project Planning; Digital Skills; Evidence-based skills for project and policymaking; Technical and Methodological Skills and Social and Intercultural Skills. Besides the training components, participants will also be exposed to case studies, keynote speakers and a pitch competition, designed to support their role as changemakers, building on their own projects and supporting their role as active education innovators in all policy levels.

Putting local expertise, context-relevance and evidence-based approaches to meaningful educational change; ITET Nigeria was made possible through a partnership between UNESCO IESALC and local implementation partner Future Perspectives. It is also a result of collaboration with Queen’s University, the Global Center for Pluralism and 1 Million Teachers, who have joined as content partners, contributing to the connections between local and global priorities for providing youth with the knowledge and skills necessary to lead transforming education.