Learning Planet Festival
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Who we are

The Learning Planet Festival was first launched in 2020 in partnership with UNESCO. Since then, it has been organised each January to celebrate the International Day of Education, and has grown into a global movement uniting hundreds of thousands of participants from 193 countries.

It has become a shared space for dialogue and action, where youth, educators, innovators, policymakers, researchers, and changemakers come together to reimagine education and take steps towards learning to take care of oneself, others, and the planet.

Our organisers

Learning Planet Institute

Since 2006, the Learning Planet Institute has been reinventing education to address the global challenges of the 21st century. Its mission is to explore, research and share new ways of learning and cooperating, in order to build more sustainable and inclusive learning societies. Through collective intelligence, lifelong learning, action research and project-based approaches, the Institute develops cultures, methods and tools that empower people and transform organisations. Its work supports learners, communities and “Learning Planetizens” to take care of themselves, others and the planet.

In March 2025, LPI became a United Nations University Hub on the Future of Learning with Youth and in November 2025, it was officially designated a UNESCO Category 2 Institute under the auspices of UNESCO.

UNESCO

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It contributes to peace and security by promoting international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication and information. UNESCO promotes knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding and a more perfect knowledge of each other’s lives. UNESCO’s programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in the 2030 Agenda, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development.

Avec le soutien de

Our Shared Goals

A shared learning agenda

Build a global coalition that amplifies diverse voices, particularly from the Global South, to advance a shared learning agenda that empower students and communities to shape a more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable future for all.

Youth participation & intergenerational leadership

Center youth participation and intergenerational collaboration in transforming education. Equip youth to think critically, act decisively, and co-create solutions for global challenges, preparing them to lead in a rapidly evolving world.

Education for Human Flourishing

Advocate for shifting education’s purpose to prioritise well-being and human flourishing by nurturing creativity, emotional intelligence, ethical reasoning, and problem-solving to address global challenges and lead fulfilling lives.

A planetary mission for education

Champion a planetary mission for education: Shift from “best in the world” to “best for the world.” Advocate for inclusive learning models prioritising peace, sustainability, and care, fostering global responsibility and collaboration for planetary well-being.

Our journey so far

  1. 24 January 2020

    The Birth of the Learning Planet Festival

    The Learning Planet Festival was first launched in 2020 by the Learning Planet Institute in partnership with UNESCO, to celebrate the International Day of Education.

  2. 2021–2025

    Exploring Local Learning Ecosystems in the Global South

    In partnership with GELP and Dream a Dream, the Learning Planet Institute published a first report in June 2023 exploring the potential of local learning ecosystems across Latin America, Africa, and South Asia, examining how focusing on thriving, trust, collaboration, and data can reshape education. In 2025, a second report, co-designed with ten of these ecosystems, set out a strategic roadmap for scaling the approach and connecting formal and non-formal learning to support wider systems change.

  3. September 2024

    Launch of the Learning Planet Youth Design Challenge (YDC)

    Launched at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2024, the annual Youth Design Challenge empowers youth aged 15–26 to develop practical social impact projects addressing Peace, Wellbeing, and Sustainability. Its 2025–2026 edition attracted 3,200 sign-ups and 702 project submissions from 109 countries, with 60 finalists selected for an intensive learning and support programme.

  4. March 2025

    Launch of the United Nations University (UNU) Hub at the Learning Planet Institute

    The Learning Planet Institute and UNU established the UNU Hub on Future of Learning with Youth in the Age of AI to empower youth as planetary citizens, creating research, education, and policy programs to tackle global challenges. This hub champions youth participation, intergenerational collaboration, and scalable, human-centered learning, using AI to enhance educational experiences.

  5. November 2025

    The Learning Planet Institute is officially designated a UNESCO Category 2 Institute

    This recognition acknowledges nearly two decades of work in educational innovation, and reinforces the Institute’s role in advancing learning sciences, capacity-building and education transformation worldwide.

  6. January 2026

    Launch of the Learning Planet Academy at LPF 2026

    Grounded in research, strengthened by AI and co-created with young people, the Learning Planet Academy supports learning through experimentation, collaboration and purpose, helping learners build the capacity to act on key challenges such as environment and climate, peace and democracy, and mental health and wellbeing.

The Learning Planet Festival team

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