Workshop Information

Leadership For Internationalisation: A School Strategy for Individual Pupil Mobility – Elisa Briga and Emma Varan Øien

Workshop Objectives:

Internationalisation of secondary schools can take many forms, what is sure is that internationalisation efforts should be part of a comprehensive strategy providing systemic learning mobility opportunities as an integral part of school education embedding incoming and outgoing mobility (EU Council recommendation Europe on the Move, 2024). Such a strategy includes sending and hosting pupils on a long term mobility programme (IPM). No matter the programme they take part in – publicly funded with Erasmus+, or run by a non-for profit organisation like AFS – all the students have the right to the automatic recognition of their learning outcomes in line with the 2018 EU Council recommendation on this matter.

Come to share your experience about IPM: we will start from there to discover in an interactive way how to integrate IPM in your internationalisation strategy and set up a system for recognition of competences students develop while abroad! In the meantime, join the eTwinning group on IPM to learn more!

Erasmus+ Priority: Participation in democratic life, common values and civic engagement and Inclusion and Diversity.

About Elisa Briga:

Elisa Briga is an expert in intercultural learning and learning mobility in the field of youth and school education. Since 2023 she is the Secretary General of the European Federation for Intercultural Learning (EFIL)v, the umbrella of 24 organisations in Europe belonging to the AFS Intercultural Programs network – the leading non-profit individual pupil exchange organisation involving 12.000 volunteers and 6000 pupils in their activities annually. Previously, she had been overseeing the advocacy activities of the organisation since she joined in 2011. She coordinated the EU Preparatory Action “Expert Network on Recognition of outcomes of learning periods abroad in general secondary education” 2020-2021 and is now leading the E+ project ‘Empowering Teachers for Automatic Recognition’.

She holds a master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Trieste with a thesis on the role of youth information centres in the promotion of youth mobility. In the past she worked for the European Knowledge Centre for Youth Policy at the Partnership between the European Commission and Council of Europe in the field of youth. She has been volunteering for 25 years for CISV International, a worldwide organisation promoting peace education.

About Emma Varan Øien: 

Emma Varan Oien is a project officer at EFIL and responsible for activities in the area of internationalisation of school education and intercultural learning. She supports member organisations in 24 countries in Europe and the Mediterranean to promote intercultural learning and non-formal education. She has over 10 years of experience as a volunteer trainer in non-formal learning and a background in cultural studies. 

Promoting Healthy Lifestyles and Balanced Diets in School – BIOSTREAMS – Eszter Salamon

Workshop Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to better implement student-centred learning activities in the field of health literacy, and
2. be able to better assess digital learning tools.

Workshop Description:

Childhood obesity – as well as various eating disorders – is a growing concern for many educators. It is a general threat to well-being primarily as a health problem, but also causing a number of other headaches for school leaders. The BIOSTREAMS project is aiming at addressing this complex issue in a similarly complex way. A consortium of research centres and medical intervention sites have come together to support children who have obesity problems or are at risk of becoming obese. However, understanding that prevention is important and school is probable the best vehicle for complex prevention measures, the project design includes a strong and rigorously researched school intervention pillar. ESHA is a partner in the project responsible – together with some other education organisations – for developing and piloting interventions that can take place at school.

The piloting of these interventions will take place in Denmark, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal and Slovenia during the school year of 2025/26. Their main aims are to raise awareness and broaden the knowledge of parents and children to prevent obesity through new tools and services for informed decisions about lifestyle choices, as well as improving health/food literacy, quality of life and well-being, increase self-regulation competences, and decrease in mental distress, including anxiety, depression, and self-perceived stigma.

The BIOSTREAMS project is providing a healthy eating app, serious games and a complex methodology for schools and families to collaborate on this topic, including in-class workshops around healthy lifestyles, balanced diets and dealing with obesity.

In this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to get to know and experiment with digital tools developed for these aims, to co-create opportunities for implementing them as well as the classroom intervention methodology provided in their own context and advise the pilots on the necessary family engagement.

Erasmus+ Priority: Diversity and Inclusion

About Eszter Salamon:

Eszter Salamon PhD is the Director of Parents International and an inclusion research ethics consultant for the European School Heads Association. Currently she is also a visiting professor at Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania. As part of her work, she has done education research in countries in Europe and beyond, supervises PhD research, and trains teachers and school leaders in various topics all over the world. Originally trained as a teacher, she started her career as a teacher at a primary cum secondary school. Later she became an economist and has been teaching in higher and vocational education. She started dealing with rights of the child topics in 1989 and has specialized in students’ rights and parents’ rights in the past 20+ years, being active on European level since 2009 and international level since 2015. She has gained school leadership experience as head of school board in Hungary. She has earned her Doctorate in education leadership focusing on parental empowerment and engagement, and child participation. Her activities and research interests are related to 21st century education, school leadership, parental engagement, quality and inclusion, education-related rights and accountability, and collaboration. Her recent publications include research on teacher and school leader roles and careers, open schooling, innovative and inclusive STE(A)M education, family support systems, and parents’ perceptions of and engagement in education. Her team has developed globally acknowledged practical initiatives on parental engagement, child participation, open schooling, education inclusion. She has been invited to participate at expert groups of the Council of Europe and OECD. In the field of parental engagement, her main area of activities is related to professionals’ perceptions and capacity-building needs for better collaboration. Her work is framed by her experience as a student, as a teacher, as a parents, as a school board president as well as a researcher and trainer.

Super Cyber Kids, Leading Cybersecurity – Luca Laszlo

Workshop Objectives:

1. Coordinate a successful cybersecurity education.

Workshop Description:

In this workshop, participants will learn about the importance of cybersecurity education in school and, through the SuperCyberKids project tools, get insight on some hands-on tools to prepare professional educators and children on the topic. For more information on the project, please click here.

Erasmus+ Priority: Digital Transformation

About Luca Laszlo:

Luca Laszlo is a consultant at ESHA and a project manager at Parents International. She is an expert on school and family relationships, the digitalization of schools, and its impact on children and their families. She is currently writing her PhD on cyberbullying, focusing on the impact of adults on children becoming cyberbullies.

Knowing What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do – Marcel van Herpen

Sometimes you are the teacher/leader you want to be and sometimes you are the teacher/leader you would rather not be. This is often related to situations in which we do not know exactly what to do.

And yet, in a pedagogical sense, it is important that you always have a perspective in (unpredictable) pedagogical situations. In this masterclass you will learn what to do if you don’t know what to do, and how to share responsibility with your students.

Erasmus+ Priorities: Inclusion and Diversity and Participation in Democratic Life, common values and civic engagement

About Marcel van Herpen:

Marcel van Herpen works for the Center for Pedagogical Contact. He was one of the founding fathers of Experience-Based Education in the Netherlands. Marcel visited about 20 countries where he supervised numerous pedagogical projects and school development processes. He is the author of a dozen publications and has created a few podcasts. For more information, please visit: www.marcelvanherpen.nl.

DRONE Navigating the Digital Maze, How School Leaders Can Build Resilience Against Disinformation  – Karin Wouters and Paul Byrne

“The real challenge isn’t the technology. It’s teaching young people how to stay human in a digital world.”

Navigating the digital maze, how school leaders can build resilience against disinformation

“The real challenge isn’t the technology. It’s teaching young people how to stay human in a digital world.”

Every school leader has felt it: the pressure to respond when misinformation spreads, when students are caught in online conflict, or when a community is misled by digital noise. But what if we could do more than react? What if schools became safe spaces where students learn to question, to think critically, and to resist manipulation?

The Netflix series Adolescence offers a haunting mirror to our school reality. A 13-year-old boy is judged by the world before anyone knows the full story. One powerful drone shot lingers over the school courtyard , not just for cinematic effect, but as a symbol of exposure, misunderstanding, and the weight of public opinion. Watching the series feels uncomfortably familiar for many educators.

In this interactive workshop, we introduce the EU-funded DRONE project – Teacher & school leaders training to promote Digital liteRacy & combat the spread of disinfOrmation among vulNerable groups of adolEscents. Based on research across Europe, DRONE offers practical strategies and tools for school leaders to support digital literacy, critical thinking, and emotional resilience among students, especially those most at risk.

We’ll explore real-life cases, share key findings from interviews across Europe, and invite you to reflect on your own school context. You’ll leave with fresh insights and a preview of the upcoming DRONE toolkit and training material, ready to build a school culture where students can safely grow into critical digital citizens.

About Karin Wouters:

Karin Wouters is principal of the International School of Budapest and consultant for the European School Heads Association (ESHA). With over 30 years of experience in the Netherlands, Australia, the UK, and Hungary, she is committed to creating inclusive, future-focused learning environments. Karin combines academic knowledge with practical leadership, emphasizing collaboration, innovation, and preparing students for a changing world. She is a strong advocate for professional and well-supported school leadership through ESHA, Schoolleiders VO, and international networks. In the EU-funded DRONE project, Karin led the Dutch contribution to a European study on how schools address disinformation and digital risks. She now helps develop training and tools for school leaders, always promoting strong leadership as the foundation for effective education.

About Paul Byrne:

Bridging the Gap: Italian Teachers and Middle Management in Education – Marcello Soprani

Workshop Objectives:

1. Comprehend the connection between empowerment and enhancement of the teaching profession and improvement of school organisation and learning processes.
2. Commit to promoting a culture of middle management and middle leadership in relation to one’s position within the education system.

Workshop Description:

In the Italian school system, there is currently no official recognition of middle management. During the workshop, we will present and discuss recent empirical research. This research, conducted through a survey of 400 teachers and interviews with 11 school experts, aims to understand Italian teachers’ sentiments regarding career development and teaching appraisal, and how these practices could be implemented in Italy.

Erasmus+ Priority: Participation in democratic life, Common values and Civic Engagement

About Marcello Soprani:

Mr. Soprani has experience as a school principal in elementary and middle schools. He is skilled in conflict mitigation and relationship building. Mr. Soprani is a media education expert, and a PhD Candidate at the Faculty of Education, Free University of Bozen.

Hear Today, Use Tomorrow: Strategies and Frameworks for Leading – Zachary Walker

Workshop Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to share 3-5 practical tips for equitable and inclusive leadership.

2. Participants will be able to explain 1-2 frameworks for leading all colleagues in an equitable way.

Workshop Description:

Guided by research, practical experience, and interactive exercises, the session will provide participants with practical strategies and frameworks for leading teachers and students. Considering the Leadership Ecosystem as a backdrop, participants will be provided ideas that have worked with other leaders across the world. Participants should be ready to explore multiple ideas that they can use immediately to support their leadership and their stakeholders.

Erasmus+ Priority:  Inclusion and Diversity

About Zachary Walker:

Zachary is Head of the Department of Psychology and Human Development at UCL, with a 25-year career studying leadership and learning across the UK, US, Europe and Asia. He combines impeccable psychological understanding with MBA expertise to provide cutting-edge insights and strategies for schools, businesses and organisations worldwide. Offering both substantive gravitas and real-world pragmatism, he is a captivating speaker who, unusually, still retains the ability to connect with audiences of all ages. He is confident and has extensive experience speaking to schools (all ages), universities, and public, private, and third sector organisations in numerous industries, from SMEs to Board Level. To date, he has provided 200+ memorable speaking experiences to groups and individuals in over 40 countries worldwide.

The School as a Pedagogical Home; A Pedagogical Leader Makes the Difference! – Simone Mark

Workshop Objectives:

1. Participants will formulate their pedagogical assignment, which will be based on civil engagement.
2. Participants will formulate their values as guiding principles for their team and pedagogical attitude.

Workshop Description:

Such a leader moves at the limits of the possibilities of his teachers, just as teachers move at the limits of the possibilities of their students. It requires awareness to understand the layering of complex organizations and human behavior. Both the behavior of professionals, and of the students and their parents.

A leader has a different responsibility than teachers, but the same task: to ensure that every student feels seen, known, heard and understood and develops optimally within his or her possibilities. We know that every leader strives for this in his or her heart. And we also know that not every leader finds this easy. The pedagogical home’ (PH) is a working model for school leaders, with which they can build a powerful pedagogical learning environment.

Erasmus+ Priority: Participation in Democratic Life, Common Values and Civic Engagement

About Simone Mark:

Simone Mark is founder and director of the Center for Pedagogical Contact in the Netherlands. She is pedagogue and educationalist (Med) and guides schools with pedagogical issues. She developed a model for school development: ‘the Pedagogical House’ and wrote a book about it. Simone likes to share her experiences, knowledge and insights in with leaders who wants to make a difference by working from their moral compass.

Soil Health Putting Pressure on Education Across Europe—What’s the Leader’s Role?

ESHA / Judit Horgas / Harry te Riele

Workshop Objectives:

1. To alert staff to what will soon be cooking — what soil health is all about;
2. To help test advanced education tools and integrate them into lesson plans;
3. To help teachers understand why children and those around them might react the way they will, and how to keep learning dialogues productive rather than tumultuous. In short: to bring their staff at ease the moment soil health comes knocking on all our doors;
4. To gain fresh insights and reflect on national peculiarities as well as on team roles in times of deep and potentially disruptive change;
5. To make participants aware that society needs them: “Please come on board — we’ll need you to help set this in motion.”

Workshop Description:

A new kid on the block is about to stir things up in European education — soil health. Seemingly an innocent novelty, yet in practice it might just shake the atmosphere in your classrooms. So, what’s the school leader’s role?

Soil health is about the foundations of biodiversity—most of which takes place beneath our feet. About the European Union turning up the pressure. About parents who’ll gladly embrace the novelty and about others who’ll be angry in your school offices, once they realise what the implications truly mean for their children and themselves. For instance, soil health could well redefine traditional farming.

With this new topic, the EU is in a hurry to influence curricula from pre-primary, primary, secondary and higher education —all the way through to lifelong learning. Each country is to construct its own narrative —ancient histories of waters and soils and stones, flashes of optimism in the 1980’s, frustration and even scars from the 1990’s and 2000’s, limiting the paths to be walked from here.

What is expected from you as a school leader? First, to alert your staff to what will soon be cooking — what it’s all about. Secondly, to help test advanced education tools and integrate them into lesson plans. Thirdly, to help teachers understand why children and those around them might react the way they will — and how to keep learning dialogues productive rather than tumultuous. In short: to bring your staff at ease the moment soil health comes knocking on all our doors.

In our Workshop and Mini Symposium 1 and 2 you’ll explore the essentials of it all, gain fresh insights, and reflect on national peculiaritie as well as on team roles in times of deep and potentially disruptive change. We’ll also showcase newly developed education tools for testing at school level. Please do join us and come on board — we’ll need you to help set this in motion.

Erasmus+ Priorities: Fighting Climate Change and Fostering a Sustainable Society

About Judit Horgas:

Education expert, programme manager, editor of ESHA’s magazine HEADLIGHT, co-developer of educational tools and member of the EU Horizon Cursiosoil project. Judit is based in Hungary.

About Harry te Riele: societal transitions, complex decision-making, intelligence of the crowd, human resource, and system innovation.

Harry has pioneered in societal transition thinking for 25 years. Educated as a product design engineer (Delft University of Technology) and having worked as a product design manager (TNO applied research), as a management consultant (Twijnstra Group), and as interface science/society (Erasmus University Rotterdam), he now clarifies people’s positions during deep change. Mission: to reduce psychological, social, and material damage caused by societal system shifts. He focuses on the human resource – can people play their roles to the fullest when change gets tough? He masters activating intelligence of the crowd and works in a variety of domains: agriculture, energy transition, monetary system, political decision

making, education, spatial planning, and others. He typically works for governments, though masterclasses for mixed audiences, columns for magazines, podcasts, and coaching for explorative minds can be expected. In close co-operation with Esther van der Valk, he runs Transitiefocus (‘comfortably out of control’). Harry works part time for ESHA/European School Heads Association. He chairs a P2P currency (‘We left out banks, took out interests, and offer you a new world – Dam | Rotterdam currency’) and has run an online network on societal transitions. You may check his action research on Researchgate.

International Comparisons of School Leadership – Shared and Autonomus? – Tine S. Prøitz and Jorunn Spord Borgen

Workshop Objectives:

The workshop provides opportunities for people’s participation in democratic life, and supports active citizenship and ethics in lifelong learning, by providing new research based knowledge on and opportunities for critical reflections and tools for educational leadership. 

Workshop Description:

In this workshop on school leadership autonomy main findings of the research project CLASS-Comparisons of leadership autonomy in school districts and schools is presented.

The study explores the complexities of school leadership, highlighting the shared responsibilities and autonomy among school leaders across different country contexts. In the workshop participants are encouraged to reflect on the findings and engage in discussions about the implications for their own leadership practices.

School leadership is often characterized by its complexity and the cross-pressures from various levels within the school system. Modern school leaders must navigate a diverse array of responsibilities and expectations from multiple stakeholders, including students, parents, staff, and local education authorities. Additionally, they are expected to maintain effective relationships with all these groups to ensure a well-functioning school environment.

In the CLASS study, we find that school leaders often share responsibilities and autonomy with others within and around the school. Our research indicates that these practices vary across different country contexts, though some important similarities exist.

Key questions arising from our studies include: What leadership responsibilities and autonomy are shared? When and why are they shared? With whom are they shared in the daily operations of schools?

In the workshop, we encourage participants to reflect on these questions based on their own leadership roles and leadership contexts and to engage in collective discussions about the implications of shared or even unshared responsibilities and leadership autonomy.

Erasmus+ Priority: Participation in democratic life, common values and civic engagement 

About Tine S. Prøitz:

Tine S. Prøitz is a Professor of Education and Vice Dean for Research at the Faculty of Humanities, Sports, and Education Science at the University of South-Eastern Norway. She has led and participated in numerous research projects and chaired government-appointed commissions in Norway. Her research interests focus on the intersection of education policy and practice, including education reform, school leadership, research-practice partnerships, and assessment and evaluation in quality development work. Currently, she is the principal investigator of the CLASS research project, which compares leadership autonomy in school districts and schools.

About Jorunn Spord Borgen:

Jorunn Spord Borgen is a Professor of Education at the University of South-Eastern Norway. Her research interests focus on educational policy and practice. She is currently a member of the leadership team for the CLASS project, which compares leadership autonomy in school districts and schools. Additionally, she leads the evaluation of the new national curriculum in four practical aesthetic school subjects in Norwegian schools. Borgen is also one of the leaders of the research group SEPP – Studies of Education Policy and Education Practice.

Leading  for adaptive teaching with AI by school leader Jasper Kok and Simon Hanemaaijer

Meet Jasper and Simon, Who Show you, Directions to Lead teaching with AI, assisted by mini LEXIE the New AI Assistant.

Are you curious how technology can strengthen education, reduce teacher workload, and engage students in new ways? Sign up for the ‘Leading for adaptive teaching with AI’ workshop and experience firsthand what skills and knowledge are needed in yourself and your teachers. How does it work to influnce and limit what your AI assistant can and can not do, how a safe use is organised. Lexie, the AI-powered holographic assistant will demonstrate what are the challenges in transforming education.

Lexie is specifically designed for use in educational settings: she holds conversations, answers questions, explains topics, shows 3D animations, and speaks multiple languages. Whether you’re working in primary or higher education, Lexie adapts to your teaching environment. But how does a teacher work with Lexie and give the correct assignments? What does a school head need to know and do to get the right awareness and have AI implemented in school policy and teaching?

During this interactive session, you will:
– Get directions on how to lead the raising of awareness and how to start implementation of teaching with AI in your school

• Get directions on attentionpoints, how AI can be limited and be a safe environment where the teacher is in the lead.
• See how the AI Lexie operates in a classroom context and what a teacher needs to know and be able to do.
  – Learn how an AI like LEXIE can support continuity while the teacher is not available and how it enables differentiated instruction
  – Discover practical examples of how Lexie enhances language support and builds 21st-century skills
  – Interact directly with Lexie and ask your own questions

About Jasper Kok:

Jasper is co-presenter and expert on practical application in the classroom, sharing his knowledge as supervising board on how Lexi is used in the schools of https://www.opohvt.nl/ in Twente, the Netherlands. He is an expert on practical application in the classroom that will share his knowledge and personal experiences on digitalisation and leading effective processes to implement innovation.

About Simon Hanemaaijer and Media Hologram: 

Media Hologram, founded by Simon Hanemaaijer, is at the forefront of holographic technology. In collaboration with ESHA, we are developing Lexie, an advanced AI hologram that makes education interactive and visual. Lexie (Learning and Education eXpert Intelligence Entity) supports teachers with personalised assistance, provides virtual demonstrations, and can even take over lessons in the absence of a teacher. With powerful language skills and live image generation, Lexie encourages independent learning and helps reduce lesson cancellations. Lexie 2.0 elevates the learning experience and opens the door to future-focused education.

How To Make Managers Ready for Innovation – Silvia Pugi

Workshop Objective:

1. As EU businesses need to be more competitive through talent and innovation, this workshop focuses on the informal type of training we need to provide managers across Europe to stimulating innovation and bridging Europe’s knowledge, skills and competences gap.

Workshop Description:

As European managers, we recognize that continuous training is essential to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving global landscape. Upgrading skills and embracing lifelong learning are no longer optional, but a necessity for both individuals and organizations. We must cultivate innovation-ready mindsets, fostering adaptability and resilience. Openness to new technologies and business models is key to driving sustainable growth. Investing in people is the cornerstone of Europe’s future success and sustainable business model.

About Silvia Pugi:

Silvia Pugi is the Deputy Secretary General for CEC European Managers. She promotes Innovation & Sustainability, together. Ms. Pugi works in venture capital investing in startups. Meanwhile, she has been active in managerial associations at Italian and European level.

Mini Symposium ‘Participate’: Understand and Prevent Bullying Behaviour by Adults – Anastasiia Petrova and Eszter Salamon

Cure Cyberbullying Headaches by Engaging with Parents

Workshop Objectives:

1. Participants will learn about the impact of bullying – including cyberbullying – on students, schools, families and communities.
2. Participants will learn how to identify the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders (school leaders, teachers, parents, and students) in preventing and addressing cyberbullying.
3. Participants will learn how to design an action plan that promotes digital responsibility and resilience among the whole community.

Workshop Description:

 Cyberbullying, mostly happening outside of the school, and definitely outside of the strictly meant school activities. However, incidents often cause major headaches for school leaders. In many countries, smart phone bans have been introduced partly to react on this, but it is a more than problematic measure. While the incident rate is decreasing, cyberbullying is often considered a crisis as single incidents are often enlarged by media.

School leaders keep highlighting the need for support in cyberbullying prevention and dealing with the impact of such incidents.

Parents are mostly seen as the ones demanding school leaders to get involved and act.

In the PARTICIPATE Project, 10 Doctoral Candidates are doing research on different angles of the role of parents in tackling cyberbullying. While they are producing high quality evidence base in the field, their work will also lead to practical, research-based tools for school leaders, teachers, parents and also policy makers.

In this hands-on workshop, three Doctoral Candidates will invite participants to contribute to the development of these practical tools with special focus on the material that targets your fellow school leaders, and the one for policy makers that can be helpful for your work. 

Erasmus+ Priority: Participation in democratic life, common values and civic engagement

About Anastasiia Petrova:

Anastasiia Petrova is a researcher and academic with a background in sociology and psychology. She is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Turku’s Faculty of Social Science, specializing in Psychology. An alumna of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, St. Petersburg, Anastasiia holds both a Master’s degree in Sociology and a Bachelor’s degree in the same discipline. Anastasiia serves as an MSCA Research Fellow. Previously, she has held roles as a Lecturer and Research Assistant at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, and as Teaching Assistant. She has also participated in academic mobility at the University of Helsinki in 2021.

About Eszter Salamon:

Eszter Salamon PhD is the Director of Parents International and an inclusion research ethics consultant for the European School Heads Association. Currently she is also a visiting professor at Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania. As part of her work, she has done education research in countries in Europe and beyond, supervises PhD research, and trains teachers and school leaders in various topics all over the world. Originally trained as a teacher, she started her career as a teacher at a primary cum secondary school. Later she became an economist and has been teaching in higher and vocational education. She started dealing with rights of the child topics in 1989 and has specialized in students’ rights and parents’ rights in the past 20+ years, being active on European level since 2009 and international level since 2015. She has gained school leadership experience as head of school board in Hungary. She has earned her Doctorate in education leadership focusing on parental empowerment and engagement, and child participation. Her activities and research interests are related to 21st century education, school leadership, parental engagement, quality and inclusion, education-related rights and accountability, and collaboration. Her recent publications include research on teacher and school leader roles and careers, open schooling, innovative and inclusive STE(A)M education, family support systems, and parents’ perceptions of and engagement in education. Her team has developed globally acknowledged practical initiatives on parental engagement, child participation, open schooling, education inclusion. She has been invited to participate at expert groups of the Council of Europe and OECD. In the field of parental engagement, her main area of activities is related to professionals’ perceptions and capacity-building needs for better collaboration. Her work is framed by her experience as a student, as a teacher, as a parents, as a school board president as well as a researcher and trainer.

The Role of School Directors in the Effective Management of Secondary Schools – Zdravka Grđan

Workshop Objectives:

1. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to develop and implement at least one action plan for quality assurance or organizational change in their schools, demonstrating understanding of effective leadership strategies.

2. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to analyze a real-life leadership scenario and propose practical solutions, showing improved communication, team management, and problem-solving skills, measurable through follow-up feedback or implementation outcomes.

Workshop Description:

The role of a secondary school director is comprehensive and demanding, involving the management and coordination of all aspects of school life — from planning and programming to overseeing teaching quality, staff performance, administrative duties, and financial operations.

At the heart of school leadership is teaching, which remains the central pillar of educational success. In this process, teachers must clearly define their roles, while school directors serve as pedagogical leaders, ensuring that the school environment supports high-quality and effective learning and continuous improvement and development.

Key leadership functions of school directors include leading changes, building school identity, providing support, and implementing systems for monitoring and evaluation. These responsibilities are embodied in the director’s role as an organizer, motivator, communicator, and responsible risk-taker.

Modern school leaders must also navigate evolving educational demands, such as adapting to new work cultures, supporting digitalization and new pedagogical approaches, and responding to increasing complexity in effective teaching and learning. As part of a dynamic and collaborative educational community, school directors play a crucial role in transforming everyday challenges into meaningful opportunities through effective leadership and teamwork.

This workshop provides school directors with effective strategies for managing daily responsibilities, resolving conflicts, reducing stress, enhancing teamwork, improving communication and motivation, and fostering a positive school climate.

The core of the workshop is built around three real-life scenarios inspired by the experiences of secondary school directors. Each case addresses a specific leadership challenge:

1. Quality Assurance in Secondary Schools

2. Managing Change

3. Communication and Relationship Building

This workshop falls under the domain of Leadership Development, with a strong emphasis on practical application and reflective practice. School directors will have the opportunity to discuss and find answers to current questions related to accountability, decision-making, teamwork, and facing daily leadership challenges.

Erasmus+ Priority:

1. Promoting inclusion and equity in education – by enhancing school directors’ capacities to create supportive and positive school environments for all students and staff.

2. Strengthening leadership and governance in educational institutions – by equipping school directors with practical tools, strategies, and reflective practices for effective management, decision-making, and team-building in secondary schools.

About Dr. Zdravka Grđan: 

Zdravka Grđan is a supportive, passionate educator with more than 20 years’ experience in education. She is a Professor of Pedagogy and German language and literacy. She was for 13 years Director of the Second Gymnasium Varaždin and during that time she established and served as the Head of Center of Excellence for National History in Varaždin County as unique Center of Excellence in Europe. She was the County Coordinator for Civic Education for Secondary Schools and a member of the Executive Board of the Croatian Association of Secondary School Directors, where she also served as the President of the Varaždin County Association of Secondary School Directors. She completed

a one-year professional study at the Diplomatic Academy at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia. She has been awarded multiple times by the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia for her exceptional commitment and professionalism in improving the quality of education and ensuring high-quality learning opportunities for students. In 2025, she earned a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree from the Swiss School of Business and Management Geneva, achieving Summa cum Laude. She is now a Pedagogical Adviser at the European School of Varese, Italy, a certified KiVa Trainer, and a British Council Master Trainer. Her professional interests and areas of expertise include didactics, teaching methods, pedagogy, educational management and leadership, educational diplomacy, school sport, Erasmus + projects, school organization, and conflict management.

Turning Schools into Hubs of Social and Emotional Learning and Well-being – Evidence and Promising Practices from the OECD Survey on Social and Emotional Skills (SSES) – Hannah Ulferts OECD

Workshop Objectives:

• Increased awareness of the importance of social and emotional skills in relation to a variety of key outcomes;
• Knowledge about gender disparities and socio-economic disadvantages affecting the development of social and emotional skills;
• Awareness of the importance of data for identifying strengths and weaknesses in social and emotional education, and for adapting promising policies and practices to local cultures and school contexts.
• Identification of at least two key levers for improving social and emotional education within participants’ own contexts;

Workshop Description:

In a time of accelerating change, education systems must equip young people not only with academic knowledge, but also with the social and emotional skills needed to navigate a complex and uncertain world. Skills such as empathy, emotional regulation, responsibility, and curiosity are critical for students’ well-being, their relationships, and their future readiness.

These skills are also essential to our societies and economies. They help create innovative minds, serve as the social glue that holds communities together, and lay the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful future.

This workshop presents key findings from the OECD’s Survey on Social and Emotional Skills (SSES) 2023, the largest international survey of these skills among 10- and 15-year-old students. It provides comparative evidence on how these skills are shaped by students’ experiences in school, at home, and in the community—and how they relate to learning, well-being, equity, and aspirations.

Findings from European sites, including Italy, Finland, Spain, Bulgaria and Ukraine, will be discussed alongside results from Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. This global lens helps us understand both universal patterns and local innovations, offering school leaders practical insights and policy inspiration from across the world.

We will explore the practices that make the biggest difference: from creating emotionally supportive environments and fostering inclusive peer and teacher relationships, to integrating social and emotional learning (SEL) into daily teaching, feedback, and extracurricular activities. The session will highlight innovative practices and strategies to promote equity and tackle gender stereotypes.

Join us to discover what works, reflect on international practices, and take home actionable insights to transform your school into a hub for human flourishing—where students feel safe, connected, and ready for life.

To find out more, please click here.

Erasmus+ Priority:

• Inclusion and Diversity – in particular, discussions on social and economic barriers;
• Participation in Democratic Life, Common Values, and Civic Engagement – focusing on the skills and environments needed for active participation.

About Hannah Ulferts: 

Dr. Hannah Ulferts is a policy analyst at the OECD, leading the analytical work and reporting on the OECD’s Survey on Social and Emotional Skills (SSES) 2023. Previously, she worked as the lead author of the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report “Learning During – and From – Disruption” and published the book “Teaching as a Knowledge Profession – Studying Pedagogical Knowledge across Education Systems.” Before joining the OECD, Dr. Ulferts earned a doctoral degree in psychology and worked as a postdoctoral researcher on several European and German research projects. She also served as a lecturer at the Department of Early Childhood Education at the Free University of Berlin. She has published extensively on topics including social and emotional education, teacher knowledge, job roles and personality development, parenting styles, reading motivation and competencies, and the quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC). Her work encompasses a wide range of methodological approaches, including international large-scale assessments, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and secondary analyses of longitudinal and cross-sectional studies.

School Librarians and Principals Leading Together – Luisa Marquardt

Facilitators: Gordana Fileš and Antonija Lujanac 

Research from multiple international studies (e.g., Ohio, Colorado, Papa & Marzoli) confirms a strong link between effective school library programmes and improved student learning outcomes. Yet, these benefits are not uniformly realised due to technological disruptions, evolving pedagogy, and institutional inequalities. This interactive workshop explores how strong leadership collaboration between school principals and school librarians can drive educational excellence, equity, and student well-being. Drawing on contributions from the new book School Librarians and Principals Leading Together (Bloomsbury/IASL, 2025) and the updated IFLA-UNESCO School Library Manifesto 2025, participants will:

•     Examine evidence-based practices and real-world success stories,

•     Discuss shared leadership models,

•     Reflect on local challenges and opportunities,

•     Identify concrete strategies to promote and sustain quality school library programmes.

Participants will leave with inspiration, practical ideas, and a renewed sense of partnership to support innovative, inclusive, and future-ready school libraries.

About Luisa Marquardt:

Luisa Marquardt, Chair of the IFLA School Libraries Section (2023-2025), Elected Member of IFLA Continuing Professional Development & Workplace Learning Section (2025-2029), UNESCO MIL Alliance Expert, teaches Library and Information Science at Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy; Chair of the National Commission on School Libraries of the Italian Library Association (2020-2023; 2023-2026); Lifetime Member of the International Association of School Librarianship. Her research interests mainly focus on library impact on cognitive, metacognitive and interpersonal dimensions.

About Antonija Lujanac:

Antonija Lujanac, MA.Ed. is a school librarian and project coordinator at Osnovna škola Dobriše Cesarića in Zagreb, Croatia. She holds a Master’s degree in pedagogy and librarianship, with professional interests that include innovative learning methods, integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into school curricula, and promoting sustainable entrepreneurship and inclusive learning spaces. She is the coordinator of many Erasmus+ projects and a mentor for volunteers in the European Solidarity Corps program. She founded InveSTEAM, a group of dedicated librarians called @GlobalLibrarians who organize training courses for school librarians and lead international projects in school librarianship. Since 2022, she has been the IASL Regional Director for Europe, collaborating with numerous IFLA School Library members. Since 2025 she has been a member of IFLA Professional Section Standing Committee Education and Training. In 2023 and 2024, she was recognized by the Croatian Ministry of Education as one of the country’s top educators. Her homepage is https://myinvesteam.com/ .

About Gordana Fileš :

Prof. Gordana Fileš is the principal of Dobriša Cesarić Elementary School in Zagreb. She graduated from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zagreb, earning the title of Professor of Croatian Language and Literature. She began her career as a Croatian language teacher, advanced to the title of Mentor Teacher, and has served as principal since 2005, achieving the title of Principal-Advisor.

Throughout her professional development, she has pursued education in a wide range of areas, including innovative teaching methods, project management, mediation, and leadership in managing people and processes. Her special area of interest is drama work with children and adults. She conducts drama workshops aimed at training teachers to use drama techniques in the learning process and to support the development of social skills in children and young people.

She organizes numerous competitions and public events within the local community and is an active member of various committees.

Gordana Fileš also has extensive experience with Erasmus+ projects, participating in a variety of programs in cooperation with numerous associations and institutions.

SYNAPSES – Myrthe Stienstra and Petra van Haren

Educating for Sustainability Citizenship: an introduction

Workshop Objectives:

• Gain a shared understanding of why change toward sustainability education is both urgent and possible.
• Discover a few simple, high-impact actions that can inspire change within your own school context.
• Explore entry points for engaging colleagues in conversations around Sustainability Citizenship.

Workshop Description:

In a world increasingly shaped by environmental, social, and economic challenges, SYNAPSES – a European Erasmus+ Teacher Academy – empowers educators to lead the transition toward a more sustainable future. By connecting teacher training institutions, school leaders, and teachers across Europe, SYNAPSES focuses on Sustainability Citizenship (SC): equipping educators and students with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to act on climate and sustainability issues. Through innovative pedagogies, cross-border collaboration, and real-world engagement, the project reimagines how education can serve both learners and the planet.

This workshop invites participants into an immersive experience designed to explore how education can become a driving force for change. Rooted in the SYNAPSES philosophy, the session supports school heads in discovering how they can infuse sustainability across subjects and school life. The workshop’s core goals are threefold:

· Gain a shared understanding of why change toward sustainability education is both urgent and possible.

· Discover a few simple, high-impact actions that can inspire change within your own school context.

· Explore entry points for engaging colleagues in conversations around Sustainability Citizenship.

The workshop is both reflective and hands-on. Participants will work in small teams to investigate real-world sustainability challenges. These are not abstract exercises, but springboards for building interdisciplinary links, designing student-led initiatives, and fostering meaningful school-community connections. Throughout, there’s an emphasis on practical tools, examples from European schools, and pathways toward implementation — but without overwhelming detail or prescriptive models.

If you’ve ever wondered how to move beyond one-off Earth Day lessons and toward a whole-school approach to sustainability, this workshop will offer both inspiration and a concrete starting point. You might even find yourself asking: What if my students were the designers of a more sustainable world — and my classroom was the launchpad?

EXTRA: During this workshop, you will learn how you can obtain access to a week long summer school for school heads on Sustainability Citizenship in Greece!

Erasmus+ Priority: Environment and fight against climate change

European Year of Digital Citizenship Education 2025 – Milena Nahapetyan

Workshop Objectives: 

1. Increased awareness of the European Year of Digital Citizenship Education 2025 and its objectives.
2. Enhanced understanding of the Council of Europe’s concept of digital citizenship education.

Workshop Description:

The long-term vision of the Council of Europe’s Education Strategy is that all learners will be able to fully exercise their rights as active citizens in democratic societies. Human rights-based digital transformation of education is one of the 3 priority pillars of the strategy. The Council of Europe has launched the European Year of Digital Citizenship Education 2025 (European Year 2025) to give a new impetus to the development and promotion of digital citizenship education in all its member states.

The European Year 2025 stands as a unique opportunity to enhance the visibility and impact of digital citizenship education (DCE) and to reaffirm its value. This designated year provides a strategic platform for key stakeholders from the public, private and civil sectors to work together, set common goals and share sense-making practices. It provides a concise yet impactful space for measuring achievements and collectively defining a road map for the future of digital citizenship education. Through streamlined joined efforts by all the partners from across Europe, this initiative propels DCE forward, ensuring its resilience and effectiveness in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Erasmus+ Priority: Digital Transformation

About Milena Nahapetyan:

Milena Nahapetyan is a professional with around 15 years of experience in project management. Her areas of expertise include the field of education, gender equality, youth empowerment, development of civil society and democratisation processes.

Milena joined the team of the Education Department of the Council of Europe in September 2024 to coordinate the implementation of the European Year of Digital Citizenship Education 2025. The European Year 2025 is called to establish digital citizenship education as a long-term policy priority, as well as to foster cross-sector collaboration and to advance access to resources and innovative practices across all 46 members of the Council of Europe.

Being a participating parent and a responsible member of society, Milena is dedicated to promoting informed, meaningful and ethical use of digital tools by learners of all ages. It is important to raise awareness and enhance communication on the crucial role digital citizenship plays in protecting and promoting human rights and democracy.

Leading on Future Skills:  An immersive learning experience in the Pop-up Classroom – Vicky Bacon, Angelo Dalessandri, Alberto Somaschini, and Philippa Wraithmell

Enter the innovative world of the Pop-up Classroom, where learning undergoes an exciting transformation. Equipped with the latest technology, this dynamic space offers a wide range of teaching and learning opportunities: 

• Unique real-world tasks that stimulate students’ imagination, 
• a challenge-based approach that transforms their learning experiences,
• and an immersive hands-on experience that opens the door to a new world with AR.

Explore the limitless possibilities of iPad and Mac in the classroom and discover how to bring an immersive and accessible learning environment to your school. Our four Senior Apple Professional Learning Specialists will guide you through short interactive segments and show you how education technology can help your institution cultivate the skills students need to thrive in the digital age.  

The Pop-up Classroom is an initiative by R-Store/Rekordata, an Apple Authorized Education Specialist.

About Vicky Bacon: 

With over thirty years of experience in education, Vickie consults with leaders, senior decision-makers, and governments across the UK and EMEIA to support the development of impactful digital strategies in schools and colleges. Drawing on her background as a school leader and practitioner, she helps educators enhance teaching and learning through the purposeful use of digital technologies. 

As Lead Apple Professional Learning Specialist for the UK & Ireland, Vickie works with education institutions to design and facilitate professional learning that builds staff confidence and capacity. Whether strengthening whole-school culture, or shaping curriculum planning, her focus is always on equitable access to learning and sustainable impact. Her work is grounded in research and best practice, with a clear emphasis on meaningful outcomes for leaders, teachers, and students.

About Angelo Dalessandri:

Angelo is Innovation Team Lead at a private high school in Milan. He combines expertise in biology, chemistry, and educational technology with proven leadership in driving digital transformation in education.

In his capacity as Innovation Team Lead, Angelo orchestrates strategic projects that seamlessly integrate technology into the teaching process, foster accessibility, and optimize workflow efficiency for both educators and students. In his role as Lead Apple Professional Learning Specialist for Italy, Angelo is responsible for designing and delivering professional development programs for school leaders and teachers at a national level, with a specific emphasis on the effective utilization of digital tools.

Guided by the principle that purpose drives progress, Angelo ensures every initiative is grounded in meaningful goals and measurable impact.

About Alberto Somaschini:

Alberto is the school leader of a hotel and catering institute located near Milan. Over the past decade, Alberto has been instrumental in the development of digital district projects in northern Italy. He has also provided leadership support to regional school offices and assisted Territorial Support Centres for Inclusion with leadership activities focused on accessibility and Universal Design.

Alberto is a member of the European teaching group responsible for the development of the DigiComp 2.2 skills standard. Since 2022, Alberto has led the Italian Apple Professional Learning Specialist team dedicated to accessibility.

As the founder and leader of the Everyone Can Improve project (www.everyonecanimprove.org), Alberto actively supports schools and universities in the development of dynamic, efficient, and accessible learning environments.

About Philippa Wraithmell:

Philippa is an award-winning educator and author, known for her groundbreaking book “The Digital Ecosystem”, the first global guide for educators on digital education. With over seven years of expertise in digital strategy, teaching, and change leadership, she has developed policies for government entities and bespoke frameworks for schools worldwide. As an Apple Distinguished Educator, she has led national projects in English and Arabic. Philippa is also highly qualified in various educational technologies and methodologies, with extensive experience in STEAM, Design Technology, and Computer Science.

As the founder of EdRuption, Philippa specializes in Digital Governance, Safeguarding, Curriculum & Teaching, and Innovation. Collaborating with EdTech partners, she tests emerging technologies to ensure schools comprehend their „why“ in digital learning and students unlock their potential.

Bridging Futures: Ukrainian Students in Italian Schools – Francesco Fratagnoli, Marcello Bettoni, Olena Valchuk, Natalia Rogova

From Project Presentation to Shared Reflections

This interactive workshop explores a meaningful and timely initiative launched by ANP in partnership with Intercultura AFS, aimed at supporting the educational continuity of Ukrainian students during the ongoing conflict.

Since 2023, the project has offered six fully funded annual scholarships to Ukrainian students, enabling them to attend high school in Italy for a full academic year — three in 2024/25 and three more in 2025/26. Through this opportunity, young people have been able to access not only formal education, but also a welcoming environment that fosters personal growth, cultural exchange, and community integration.

The first part of the workshop will provide participants with an overview of the project, including its origins, goals, outcomes, and testimonies from involved students and schools. In the second part, attendees will be invited to reflect together in a guided and participatory format on how similar programs could be designed or adapted in their own countries or contexts.

This session is especially relevant for school leaders, policymakers, and educators who believe in inclusive education, international solidarity, and the power of mobility to transform lives.

About Francesco Fratagnoli:

Francesco Fratagnoli is an expert in the field of pupil mobility and school education. Since 1995 he has managed different departments in Intercultura. During the first decade of 2000, he managed the first wave of digitization of Intercultura. He also managed the Volunteer Development department and during the last 15 years he managed the operations for the exchange programs, with an average number of over 2000 students per year, including the Italians students abroad and the foreign students hosted in Italy. He also offered his expertise to AFS International Programs, the umbrella organization for all the AFS partners, in several projects to improve the quality of programs offered. He is now leading a new area, Institutions and Educational Relations. 

Unlocking Teaching Potential – Lawrence Houldsworth / OECD

Workshop Objectives:

1. Understand more about the range of practices that are demanded of teachers in the modern day.
2. Understand certain levers that contribute to creating a supportive school environment for high-quality teaching in classrooms.

Workshop Description:

In an era of rapid change, it is important to not lose sight of the potential of high-quality teaching and the power of refining teaching practices that have demonstrated impact. This report aims to deepen understanding of the complexities of teaching and its multifaceted nature as a discipline grounded in scientific research, but so too an art requiring creativity and a craft necessitating constant collaborative reflection and improvement.

This session focuses on the OECD’s recent efforts to identify 20 practices that support five key goals of high-quality teaching. This process draws from extensive research to delineate what we know – and what remains to be understood – about each. It also has built on the qualitative insights of more than 150 schools from 40 countries to better understand the complex realities of implementing these practices in day-to-day teaching.

The session also focuses on how achieving high-quality teaching is not a solitary pursuit; it also depends on the school environment, and the session explores how school leaders can enable high-quality teaching. This session can be of interest for anyone committed to educational improvement, helping to spark the incremental gains that can ignite change in our classrooms and education systems.

Erasmus+ Priority: Inclusion and Digital Transformation

About Lawrence Houldsworth: 

Lawrence is an Analyst at the OECD on the Schools+ and Global Teaching InSights projects. A maths teacher by trade, he joined the OECD to work on the Global Teaching InSights Video Study. He has continued focusing on unpacking what happens in the classroom, now primarily supporting the work of Schools+ which aims to better understand how teachers can effectively implement evidence-informed practices. He holds a Masters in International Education Policy from Harvard University, and is completing his PhD in Education at the University of Oxford.

Masterclass Leadership in Changing Times – Hélio Vogas

Workshop Objectives: 

1. Equip participants with a practical framework to anticipate and manage crises driven by digital and organizational disruption.

2. Strengthen leadership confidence under pressure by applying strategies that enhance stress response and decision-making in fast-changing environments.

Erasmus+ Priority: Digital Transformation — Supporting education leaders in developing adaptability, resilience, and a forward-thinking mindset to navigate technological disruption while maintaining human-centered leadership and wellbeing in schools.

Leadership for Diversity: The Power of Vulnerability – Myrthe Stienstra and Petra van Haren

Workshop Objectives: 

EU Funding for Schools: Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Actions – Brenda Maher

Workshop Objectives:

• to call on school leaders to enable and empower teachers to teach about the EU, through Jean Monnet Actions for schools
• to bring facts and knowledge about the European Union to learners, and strengthen EU literacy in schools
• through good leadership: enhance participation in the democratic process.

Workshop Description: 

This workshop is intended to leave teachers feeling empowered & confident, to teach about the EU and leave young citizens equipped to become active citizens who recognise the reality of EU in their daily lives.

RoadSTEAMer: STEAM Policies for Using all Talents in STEAM Education – Elena Silvestrini

Workshop Objectives:

1. Getting familiar with STEAM, supported by the experiences of the Road-STEAMer project
2. Relating criteria for STEAM with personal teaching experiences

More about the workshop, here.

Erasmus+ Priority: Inclusion and Diversity