Connecting the Dots: From the New Learning Award to a Living Community of Innovative Educators
What happens after the applause fades and the winners head home? "Connecting the Dots" picked up right where the New Learning Award 2026 left off - turning a celebratory event in Brussels into the start of a much bigger conversation.
ETF, EVBB, EfVET, EVTA and LLLP representatives - Olena Bekh, Fabio, Giulia, Theodor, Emilio, and Andrea - opened the session by reflecting on what made the Award so memorable: co-creation, hands-on practice, learner motivation, and - above all - keeping learners at the center of everything. It set the tone for a webinar less about recapping the past and more about building on it.
Under Tamar's moderation, the spotlight turned to the winners and finalists themselves, who walked participants through the practices (presentation of practices) that earned them recognition. The range was striking - STEM education, civic learning, gamification, inclusion, and real-world learning approaches - drawn from Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Poland, Jordan, Germany, Armenia, Ireland, Estonia, and beyond. Each story offered a different lens on innovation in education, united by a shared commitment to practices that actually work for learners.
Find out more about four 🎉 New Learning Award 2026 winners who deserve our applause for their outstanding innovative practices! And here are the names (in alphabetical order):
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🏆 Anna Kyrpa – Become an Agent of Social Changes, digital simulation game creating a bridge between Ukrainian refugees and host communities, fostering empathy, ethical reasoning and civic responsibility (Ukraine) 🏆 Farah Zeedia – Young Builders – inclusive, play-based STEM for children of all abilities (Germany) 🏆 Nana Marghania – “Theatre and Simulation Methods: Replicable Tools for Integrated Competence Development” – student-led theatre turning classroom learning into community action (Georgia) 🏆 Noora El Wer – Masahati Student Clubs – safe, inclusive spaces for refugee and host community children to learn and grow together (Jordan) |
Find out more about nine finalists and their practices (in alphabetical order):
- Anna Kyrpa - “Become an Agent of Social Changes – a digital simulation game for developing key competences through experiential learning” (Ukraine)
- Asko Berens - “Navicup - Location-Based Learning Ecosystem for Schools, Museums and Lifelong Learning Communities” (Estonia)
- Dirk Staf - “Education, Entrepreneurship and Encounters @ Campus Corso VET Center” (Belgium)
- Farah Zeedia - Young Builders – inclusive, play-based STEM for children of all abilities (Germany)
- Hakob Hovhannisyan - “Community renewal Lab” (Armenia)
- Nana Marghania - “Theatre and Simulation Methods: Replicable Tools for Integrated Competence Development” (Georgia)
- Noora El Wer - “Masahati Student Clubs” (Jordan)
- Mirjana Mihok - “Back to the nature” (Serbia)
- Raquel Noboa - “Building a Greener Future” (Ireland)
But the real energy came from what's next. Participants floated concrete ideas to keep these practices alive and useful: organizing them by theme and leaning on the Community of Innovative Educators and its database as a hub for ongoing peer learning and connection. Partners also proposed a publication to spread the best practices further, alongside stronger ties to policy frameworks and networks - moving from isolated success stories toward systemic impact.
The session wrapped up with heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed, and an open invitation: stay connected, keep sharing, and help these innovative practices travel beyond the room where they started.
If you could not attend the webinar, you can find the recording here:
Read more about ETF New Learning Award 2026, ETF Community of Innovative Educators
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