EduSpots' Future of Education Challenge Handbook 2025

EduSpots’ FUTURE OF EDUCATION CHALLENGE Add your voice and drive real impact while sharpening your skills in research, creative design and teamwork!

Student teams of all ages can register by September 26th — don’t miss out!

Contact:

futureofeducation@eduspots.org

About EduSpots EduSpots is a movement igniting future-ready education through community leadership.

Since 2015, EduSpots has worked with over 600 local changemakers named ‘Catalysts’ to create 50 community-led education spaces named ‘Spots’ in Ghana and Kenya, with a key vision of enabling communities to create the futures they want to see through education.

Alongside this, EduSpots has worked with over 40 schools in the UK and beyond to engage students in active citizenship education and exploring power, agency and ethics in global development.

EduSpots uses digital tools and training to enable Catalysts to connect and share ideas on WhatsApp on a daily basis, currently focusing on these areas of education with over 10,000 learner annually:

EARLY YEARS EDUCATION (KG - LOWER PRIMARY)

(AGE 12-15 YEARS)

DIGITAL LITERACY UPPER PRIMARY

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ALL AGES

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ALL AGES

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE! EduSpots’ first fundraising campaign in 2016 featured a LEGO library built in a school — £1 per brick — symbolising support for the Akumadan Spot.

Brick by brick, our network grew. Now, as we approach our 10th anniversary in 2025, we’re fundraising to expand to 100 community-led Spots, igniting education through local changemakers.

Ghana

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YOUR 5 STEP TEAM MISSION:

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BUILD A TEAM

RESEARCH

DESIGN

Build a team prepared to work together for four months on this project.

Sign-up via the online application form.

Reflect on how our changing world demands a shift in education — explore EduSpots’ curated Read, Listen & Watch list to spark new ideas!e.

Imagine how you would adapt education in a fast-changing world. As a team, design something that represents how you see the future of education, explaining your idea!

FUNDRAISE

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CELEBRATE

Lead a LEGO or Future of Education themed fundraising event for EduSpots, with all donations DOUBLED via the Big Give campaign from 2-9th December.

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Join our online celebration event and engage in peer-peer learning exploring diverse visions for the future of education through different design mediums.

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About EduSpots STEP 1: BUILD A TEAM EduSpots is a movement igniting future-ready education through community In EduSpots, we believe #OurCollectiveFuture is only possible leadership.

through teamwork! All our work is all driven through local teams,

Since 2015, EduSpots has worked with over 600 local changemakers named who create the future of education through working together, ‘Catalysts’ to create 50 community-led education spaces named ‘Spots’ in drawing on everyone’s talents, interests and aspirations.

Ghana and Kenya, with a key vision of enabling communities to create the futures We’d love you to work as a committed team in groups of 4-6: they want to see through education.

Alongside this, EduSpots has worked with over 40 schools in the UK and beyond 1. Your teaminroles include: to engage students activecould citizenship education and exploring power, agency and2. ethics in global development.

Researcher in Residence EduSpots uses digital tools and training to enable Catalysts to connect and 3. Head of Imagination share ideas on WhatsApp on a daily basis, currently focusing on these areas of 4. Chief education withBuilder over 10,000 learner annually:

5. Fundraising Manager 6. Communications Officer 7. Team Coordinator

Create your own fun names and roles!

Looking for an extra leadership role?

We are also looking for student Ambassadors in the Sixth Form to lead this as a competition with younger students in your school, or with local primary schools or families.

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STEP 2: RESEARCH Do some research! In EduSpots, we believe that it’s important to learn and explore, before building or creating anything new.

We will send your team an age-appropriate set of resources, housed on our website.

This will include:

Podcasts

Tedx talks & YouTube videos

Films & documentaries

Storybooks & Novels

Non-fiction books

Articles & news stories

Music/rap/ spokenword

Social media feeds to follow

Animations & art work

Got a great resource to recommend? Send it our way!

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STEP 3: IMAGINE THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION & CREATE A DESIGN TO REPRESENT IT! There are categories for 4 age groups:

LEGO or Recycled Build

Digital Art or Music

Primary (years 4-6)

Secondary (years 7-9)

Animation or Reel

Vlogs & Podcast

Secondary (years 10-13)

University students & Adults (18+)

Extra step:

You could create your own school exhibition.

We will also be showcasing the entries on our website (with parental and school permission!)

Alongside your design work…

Write a 200-300 mini essay, explaining how this represents your vision for the future of education. Video submissions are also welcome.

Our Future of Education team will be sending some examples to support you.

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STEP 4: FUNDRAISE We are aiming to raise £150,000 in the next year to enable a further 50 Spots to join the EduSpots network! We’ve realised that in fundraising, collective action is key!

What will your design and fundraising support?

£50, doubled to £100 could place a tablet in a future coder’s hands

£100 doubled to £200 could see a Catalyst joining collaborative training

£200 doubled to £500 could equip a Spot with a laptop, wifi and projector kit

£500 doubled to £1000 could transform a classroom into an active resource hub

PLUS: Your vision for the future of education will be read by the EduSpots Programmes Team to add student voice and imagination to our strategy for learning.

Some simple fundraising ideas!

Asking people to sponsor your entry

Guess the bricks in the jar or LEGO build-athon

Creating an exhibition with a fee for entry

Future of Education Panel-event or Teacher Sing-Off

Education or LEGO-themed bake sale

LEGO-themed home clothes day

NOTE: Further fundraising ideas and advice will be sent in a separate booklet

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STEP 5: CELEBRATE In EduSpots we love celebrating innovation and engagement, which is a key part of our model for involving local volunteers across 50 Spot communities!

All participants engaging in the challenge will receive a certificate and an invitation to an online celebration event in December, after the Big Give Campaign.

AWARDS INCLUDE: 1 RESEARCH AWARD (FOR EACH AGE CATEGORY) 2 MOST INNOVATIVE DESIGN (FOR EACH AGE CATEGORY) 3 FUNDRAISING AWARD (FOR EACH AGE CATEGORY) 4 TEAMWORK AWARD (FOR EACH AGE CATEGORY) 5 BUILDING THE FUTURE AWARD (FOR STRONGEST OVERALL PROJECT SUBMISSIONS)

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MEET SOME OF THE JUDGES! In EduSpots, feedback is central to our culture. All entries in the Future of Education Challenge will be carefully reviewed, with personalised feedback from our inspirational judges!

CAT DAVISON

GLORIA AGYEMANG

Cat is the Founder & CEO of EduSpots, with 10 years of experience in leading a growing network of educational changemakers. Alongside this, Cat has 11 years of teaching experience, with a passion for social entrepreneurship education. She was recognised for her impact in critically aware active citizenship education as a Global Teacher Prize finalist and has recently been selected for the 2025 UNESCO Intercultural Leadership fellowship.

Gloria Agyemang is EduSpots’ Chair of Trustees for the Global Board, and a member of the Ghana Board. She is an Emeritus Professor of Accounting, with a passion for coaching teams to enable them to thrive. She was previously Executive Dean of the School of Business and Management at Royal Holloway, University of London, where she was the first black woman to lead a business school in the UK.

SALLY YEBOAH

AMJAD SALEEM Amjad Saleem is a youth-focused manager at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Geneva and a committed member of EduSpots’ advisory group. He has many years experience of peace building, interfaith dialogue and working in the humanitarian space.

Sally Ofori-Yeboah is Executive Advisor at the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED), Ghana, having served as CAMFED Ghana’s National Director. She is a global trustee, supporting EduSpots with our safeguarding and gender equity work, with a passion for coaching and mental health support.

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Let’s enable our learners to prepare for tomorrow, and not just today.

Professor Elsie Effah Kaufmann

Dean of the School of Engineering Sciences, University of Ghana, National Televised Maths and Science Quiz Host, EduSpots’ Patron.

Will you join us in building #OurCollectiveFuture?

Contact:

futureofeducation@eduspots.org For further information

www.eduspots.org