WISE Learners Voice

About

Learner’s Voice is a fellowship program that provides young people with opportunities to shape the future of their communities by engaging them in creative self-expression.

In each cycle, the program enrolls a cohort of enthusiastic young learners and takes them on a journey of questioning and discovery. A wide range of “glocal” topics and themes are explored, with learners diving deep into any interest areas that may arise.

The journey eventually leads to the development of a creative project through which the learner expresses their views, makes a call to action and raises awareness within their communities and surroundings.

The program provides an informal learning environment that not only builds learner agency, but also fosters better connections between students and their local ecosystems, thus better preparing them for civic engagement and public participation.  

2022 Program

The 2022 Learners’ Voice cohort combines public and private school students in Qatar. The Learners’ participated in a 2-month bootcamp that equips students with informal learning opportunities that harness the power of self expression for civic participation and meeting societal needs. 

The learners are invited to explore challenges in education, introducing them to themes of innovation for quality and access, learner agency, wellbeing and building an equitable, resilient education system. Based on  the challenges explored, the students will settle on a learning challenge to tackle real-life solutions. Implementation Day provides the learners with a platform to showcase their solutions to relevant stakeholders within the Ministry of Education, their schools and the local community.

2022 Cohort

Al Wakra Preparatory School for Girls

  • Dana Own
  • AlMayasa Al Obaidli

Ibn Khaldoon Preparatory Independent School for Boys

  • Marzouq Al Khaldi
  • Mohammed Al Mansouri
  • Faisal Al-Suwaidi
  • Faleh Al Rumaihi
  • Abdalrahman Al Rewaily 

Amna Bint Wahab Secondary School for Girls

  • Hajer Haytham
  • Naya Rahmah
  • Sara Hasan
  • Shahd Abdulaziz
  • Shahd Al Kadah

Al Bayan Secondary School

  • Hemyan Al Subaey

Omar Bin Khattab Preparatory School

  • Mohammed Al Qahtani
  • Khalid Al Naimi

Qatar International School

  • Awrad Mousa

In Partnership with

Ministry of Higher Education - State of Qatar

2022 Delivery Partner

Cohorts by year

The WISE Learners’ Voice Program brings the perspectives of young people to the challenge of rethinking education and equips them to take on leading roles in their fields and in the world of education. The Program is based on the idea that when learners are co-creators of their learning environments, they become active participants invested as stakeholders in the progress of their communities. The Program focuses on building knowledge of education, social entrepreneurship, leadership, and communication skills.

The Learners’ Voice Program was established in 2010 to engage the views and creative energies of young people in addressing pressing global education issues and challenges. The current Learners’ Voice community comprises over 200 Learners from many countries, including Qatar. They represent different backgrounds and disciplines but all share a passion for education. Together they represent a unique perspective within the WISE community.

2020-21 cohort

The 2021 Learners’ Voice cohort is the first ever Qatar exclusive group with 26 learners from 6 government schools. The Learners participated in a year-long journey of creative thinking, discussion and self expression. The cohort engaged with local guest speakers, who shared their expertise on topics such as storytelling, arts & fashion, and urban design; and interacted with student mentors from Northwestern University in Qatar.

The culmination of this cohort’s work is a series of photographs exploring their identities and how they view their roles in their communities. Through their artwork, the learners hope to pose provocative questions and begin a dialogue with their local communities as well as offer a call to action.  

2019-20 cohort

The 2019-20 WISE Learners’ Voice cohort consists of 25 outstanding learners from 20 countries, selected from a diverse pool of applicants, who strongly demonstrate their commitment to the field of education, through their academic, professional and/or personal work. 

The cohort convened for an in-person residential session in Doha from 17-19 November 2019 to participate in an action-based leadership and educational development module. In addition to completing the residential training, fellows participated actively in the WISE Summit 2019 to share their views and creative energies in addressing pressing global education issues and challenges. 

2017-18 cohort

The 2017-18 Learners’ Voice cohort consists of 19 outstanding Learners from 16 countries, selected from a diverse pool of applicants, who strongly demonstrate their commitment to the field of education, through their academic, professional and/or personal work. In a key component of the program the Learners are tasked with developing innovative, educational interventions to a pressing social issue identified by WISE. This year the participants were engaged in theoretical and practical components relating to the Global Forced Migration and Displacement Crisis.

The Learners participated in two intensive residential sessions delivered by expert faculty, online project development, project piloting, and the final project pitch at global education events. 

In March the Learners’ Voice Program hosted its first residential session in Athens, Greece. The two-week intensive session brought together 21 participants from around the world to explore the global forced migration and refugee crisis.

This first residential session comprised of interactive workshops led by experts from Harvard UniversitySciences PoAmerican Community School of Athens, among others. The workshops were designed to spark creative thinking and discussion among participants around both practical and theoretical knowledge of the refugee and education in emergency challenge, in addition to developing their communication, leadership and project development skills. The group devoted their attention to supporting the work of organizations working in both urban and camp refugee communities in Athens, including Drop in the OceanJafra FoundationHomeproject and Campfire Innovation.

The Athens residential session is designed to enable participants to apply their skills and knowledge in their research and development of innovative educational projects throughout the year. The Learners came together to form project groups, each one tackling a forced migration challenge. Learners continue to develop their group projects online with the support of mentors. In June, the Learners will reconvene in Athens to develop their project and pilot it on the ground. Selected projects will have the opportunity to present their project to audience of relevant stakeholders and partners at a global event.  

In this component, participants work in project teams, which were formed in the first residential session, throughout the year with guidance from the Learners’ Voice Team and expert mentors from the WISE community. After a thorough evaluation, selected projects will be invited to pitch to an audience of relevant stakeholders, including potential donors and partners.

The 2018 Learners’ Voice Cohort gathered in Athens from June 18-29 for their second residential session, focusing on social entrepreneurship, communication and project development skills. The intensive faculty sessions were complemented with site visits and project pilots conducted by the five groups to measure the feasibility of their projects and apply their skills.
 

Since their first residential session in March, the Learners have been engaged in online project development with expert mentors to build their group projects. One of the main objectives of the second residential session is to support teams to further develop their social initiatives, better understand the changing needs of their beneficiaries, and execute a pilot. The ongoing project pilot will allow teams to develop a proof of concept and gather data from beneficiaries to improve their projects.
 
One of the teams piloted a program for refugee youth to develop their soft skills through STEAM activities. As a part of their pilot, the team conducted a series of hands-on workshops with refugee communities on waste collection and 3D printing. Similarly, other teams conducted focus groups and
a series of interviews to map user needs and build partnerships to further improve their projects.
 
Waste Reduction and 3D printing session conducted by Learners promote soft skills such as problem solving and teamwork.

The second residential was concluded with a closing panel session attended by Stavros Yiannouka, CEO of WISE, to recognize the efforts of the Learners. In the final phase, based on a thorough evaluation, selected teams had the opportunity to present their projects to potential partners and stakeholders in WISE@NY on 22 September 2018.

Based on the findings from the pilot and the strength of the final submission, selected teams will be given the opportunity to pitch their projects to an audience of relevant experts, practitioners, and stakeholders.

In March the Learners’ Voice Program hosted its first residential session in Athens, Greece. The two-week intensive session brought together 21 participants from around the world to explore the global forced migration and refugee crisis.

This first residential session comprised of interactive workshops led by experts from Harvard UniversitySciences PoAmerican Community School of Athens, among others. The workshops were designed to spark creative thinking and discussion among participants around both practical and theoretical knowledge of the refugee and education in emergency challenge, in addition to developing their communication, leadership and project development skills. The group devoted their attention to supporting the work of organizations working in both urban and camp refugee communities in Athens, including Drop in the OceanJafra FoundationHomeproject and Campfire Innovation.

The Athens residential session is designed to enable participants to apply their skills and knowledge in their research and development of innovative educational projects throughout the year. The Learners came together to form project groups, each one tackling a forced migration challenge. Learners continue to develop their group projects online with the support of mentors. In June, the Learners will reconvene in Athens to develop their project and pilot it on the ground. Selected projects will have the opportunity to present their project to audience of relevant stakeholders and partners at a global event.  

In this component, participants work in project teams, which were formed in the first residential session, throughout the year with guidance from the Learners’ Voice Team and expert mentors from the WISE community. After a thorough evaluation, selected projects will be invited to pitch to an audience of relevant stakeholders, including potential donors and partners.

The 2018 Learners’ Voice Cohort gathered in Athens from June 18-29 for their second residential session, focusing on social entrepreneurship, communication and project development skills. The intensive faculty sessions were complemented with site visits and project pilots conducted by the five groups to measure the feasibility of their projects and apply their skills.
 

Since their first residential session in March, the Learners have been engaged in online project development with expert mentors to build their group projects. One of the main objectives of the second residential session is to support teams to further develop their social initiatives, better understand the changing needs of their beneficiaries, and execute a pilot. The ongoing project pilot will allow teams to develop a proof of concept and gather data from beneficiaries to improve their projects.
 
One of the teams piloted a program for refugee youth to develop their soft skills through STEAM activities. As a part of their pilot, the team conducted a series of hands-on workshops with refugee communities on waste collection and 3D printing. Similarly, other teams conducted focus groups and
a series of interviews to map user needs and build partnerships to further improve their projects.
 
Waste Reduction and 3D printing session conducted by Learners promote soft skills such as problem solving and teamwork.

The second residential was concluded with a closing panel session attended by Stavros Yiannouka, CEO of WISE, to recognize the efforts of the Learners. In the final phase, based on a thorough evaluation, selected teams had the opportunity to present their projects to potential partners and stakeholders in WISE@NY on 22 September 2018.

Based on the findings from the pilot and the strength of the final submission, selected teams will be given the opportunity to pitch their projects to an audience of relevant experts, practitioners, and stakeholders.

2016-17 cohort

The 2016-17 Learners’ Voice cohort consists of 26 outstanding Learners from 25 countries rigorously selected from a diverse pool of applicants who, through their academic, professional and/or personal work, strongly demonstrate their commitment to and engagement in the field of education. In a key component of the program, the Learners are tasked with developing innovative, educational interventions to a pressing social issue identified by WISE. This year the participants were engaged in theoretical and practical components relating to the Global Forced Migration and Displacement Crisis.

The Learners participated in two intensive residential sessions delivered by expert faculty, online project development, project piloting and the final project pitch at WISE 2017.

In March, the Learners’ Voice Program hosted a residential session in Athens, Greece for the first time since its inception in 2010. The two-week intensive session brought together 25 participants, including youth from refugee communities, to explore the global forced migration and refugee crisis, which is the program’s thematic focus for 2016-17.

This first residential session comprised interactive workshops led by the Yale World Fellows and various experts from Oxford UniversityHarvard University, the University of Bologna and Save The Children, among others. The workshops were designed to spark creative thinking and discussion among the participants around both practical and theoretical knowledge of the challenge topic, in addition to developing their communication, leadership and project development skills. The group also devoted attention to supporting the work of organizations working with both urban and camp refugee communities in Athens, including the Khora Community Centre, METAdrasi, Orange House, Project Elea, and Organization Earth.

Project development is a key component of the program; teams were tasked with developing grass-roots projects to support the refugees and organizations working on the ground. The residential session concluded with the presentations of five group projects to a panel of education experts including Mr. Stavros N. Yiannouka, CEO, WISE, and Dr. Stefanos Gialamas, President of the American Community Schools of Athens, as well as representatives from Project Elea, METAdrasi, and Organization Earth.

The Athens residential session was designed to enable the participants to apply their skills and knowledge as they research and develop innovative educational projects throughout the year. The Learners will continue to develop their group projects online with the support of mentors. In June, they will meet again for a Second Residential Session in Madrid which will address social entrepreneurship and design thinking modules delivered by Babson College and expert faculty.

Successful projects will be presented at the WISE 2017 Summit in Doha in November.

In this component, participants work in project teams which were formed in the first residential session and participants continue to develop the projects throughout the year with guidance from the Learners’ Voice Team and expert mentors from the WISE community. After thorough evaluation, selected projects will be invited to pitch to an audience of relevant stakeholders, including potential donors and partners at the 2017 WISE Summit.

The 2016-17 Learners’ Voice Cohort gathered at Santander Financial City in Madrid May 28 to June 10 for their second residential session, focusing on social entrepreneurship and communication skills. The intensive sessions were delivered in partnership with Banco Santander’s Global Universities Division, and facilitated by experts from Babson College and other specialists.

Since their first residential session in Athens in March, the Learners have been engaged in online project development with expert mentors to help them build their group projects. One of the main objectives of the second residential session was to support teams in further developing these social initiatives, and to design a pilot. Selected projects, intended to address challenges faced by refugees and the displaced, will be piloted with a target community in July and August. The pilot will allow teams to develop a proof of concept and gather data from beneficiaries to improve their projects.

In the final phase, based on thorough evaluation, selected teams will present their projects to potential partners and stakeholders at WISE 2017 in November.

Based on the strength of the project proposals, selected teams have the opportunity to pilot their projects with the target community. The purpose of the pilot is to test the idea on a small scale and evaluate its benefits, risks and feasibility. The pilot phase will be conducted in partnership with organizations on the ground.

Based on the findings from the pilot and the strength of the final submission, selected teams will be given the opportunity to pitch their projects to an audience of relevant experts, practitioners and stakeholders.

In March, the Learners’ Voice Program hosted a residential session in Athens, Greece for the first time since its inception in 2010. The two-week intensive session brought together 25 participants, including youth from refugee communities, to explore the global forced migration and refugee crisis, which is the program’s thematic focus for 2016-17.

This first residential session comprised interactive workshops led by the Yale World Fellows and various experts from Oxford UniversityHarvard University, the University of Bologna and Save The Children, among others. The workshops were designed to spark creative thinking and discussion among the participants around both practical and theoretical knowledge of the challenge topic, in addition to developing their communication, leadership and project development skills. The group also devoted attention to supporting the work of organizations working with both urban and camp refugee communities in Athens, including the Khora Community Centre, METAdrasi, Orange House, Project Elea, and Organization Earth.

Project development is a key component of the program; teams were tasked with developing grass-roots projects to support the refugees and organizations working on the ground. The residential session concluded with the presentations of five group projects to a panel of education experts including Mr. Stavros N. Yiannouka, CEO, WISE, and Dr. Stefanos Gialamas, President of the American Community Schools of Athens, as well as representatives from Project Elea, METAdrasi, and Organization Earth.

The Athens residential session was designed to enable the participants to apply their skills and knowledge as they research and develop innovative educational projects throughout the year. The Learners will continue to develop their group projects online with the support of mentors. In June, they will meet again for a Second Residential Session in Madrid which will address social entrepreneurship and design thinking modules delivered by Babson College and expert faculty.

Successful projects will be presented at the WISE 2017 Summit in Doha in November.

In this component, participants work in project teams which were formed in the first residential session and participants continue to develop the projects throughout the year with guidance from the Learners’ Voice Team and expert mentors from the WISE community. After thorough evaluation, selected projects will be invited to pitch to an audience of relevant stakeholders, including potential donors and partners at the 2017 WISE Summit.

The 2016-17 Learners’ Voice Cohort gathered at Santander Financial City in Madrid May 28 to June 10 for their second residential session, focusing on social entrepreneurship and communication skills. The intensive sessions were delivered in partnership with Banco Santander’s Global Universities Division, and facilitated by experts from Babson College and other specialists.

Since their first residential session in Athens in March, the Learners have been engaged in online project development with expert mentors to help them build their group projects. One of the main objectives of the second residential session was to support teams in further developing these social initiatives, and to design a pilot. Selected projects, intended to address challenges faced by refugees and the displaced, will be piloted with a target community in July and August. The pilot will allow teams to develop a proof of concept and gather data from beneficiaries to improve their projects.

In the final phase, based on thorough evaluation, selected teams will present their projects to potential partners and stakeholders at WISE 2017 in November.

Based on the strength of the project proposals, selected teams have the opportunity to pilot their projects with the target community. The purpose of the pilot is to test the idea on a small scale and evaluate its benefits, risks and feasibility. The pilot phase will be conducted in partnership with organizations on the ground.

Based on the findings from the pilot and the strength of the final submission, selected teams will be given the opportunity to pitch their projects to an audience of relevant experts, practitioners and stakeholders.

2015-16 cohort

Throughout 2016 the Learners were engaged in residential sessions and online and on-site activities intended to build their knowledge of current issues in education as well as their entrepreneurial, communication, and leadership skills. The first residential session was held in Doha, January 4-12, 2016, and included modules on education, communication, and leadership delivered by Prof Thomas Cassidy and the Yale World Fellows.

The second residential session was hosted by WISE partner Banco Santander (through its Santander Universities program) in Madrid, May 30-June 10, 2016. Babson College and Studio Banana delivered a series of practical workshops on social entrepreneurship, innovation, and disruptive thinking.

A core component of the Learners’ Voice Program is the development of group projects that address critical issues in education. The cohort developed five projects during the year addressing diverse education challenges including social integration, education in emergency contexts, and student motivation. Each team had the opportunity to visit a site between June and August to conduct primary research and further develop their project proposals.

After thorough evaluation, two teams of Learners were selected to present at the WISE-LIFE China Forum on Education in Beijing on November 5, 2016. The presentation session provided the Learners with a platform from which to pitch their projects, and to discuss them with an audience of experts and practitioners.

The following projects were presented at the WISE-LIFE China Forum:

  • HaloHalo- a skill-sharing platform which creates opportunities for authentic in-person encounters that supports both refugees and locals in developing new skills, reconnecting with their passions, and ultimately broadening their cross cultural networking.
  • Edulink– a student engagement program for public school students in Qatar intended to make education more relevant to students’ lives through guest speakers and field visits.

After thorough evaluation, two teams of Learners were selected to present at the WISE-LIFE China Forum on Education in Beijing on November 5, 2016. The presentation session provided the Learners with a platform from which to pitch their projects, and to discuss them with an audience of experts and practitioners.

2014-15 cohort

The 2014-15 Learners’ were engaged in various activities which aimed to build their knowledge of current issues in education as well as their entrepreneurial, communication and leadership skills.

The Program was delivered through two core residential sessions. The first residential session was held in Doha from January 5-13, 2015 and covered modules on education, and communication and leadership, delivered by faculty from local educational institutions and the Yale World Fellows, respectively. 

The second residential session was hosted by Learners’ Voice partners Banco Santander (through its program Santander Universities) in Madrid from June 1-12, 2015, where Babson College and Studio Banana delivered a series of workshops on social entrepreneurship and disruptive thinking. 

A core component of the Learners’ Voice Program is the development of group projects seeking to address critical issues in the field of education. The following project proposals were developed during the course of the year and were selected to present at the 2015 WISE Summit on November 4th in Doha, Qatar.

  • The Connected Cultures Project which builds cross-cultural competence through non-formal education for youth. 
  • EmpaFest: The DIY Empathy Festival –  an initiative that develops empathy through a transformative program for teenagers
  • The Pantok Initiative that provides access to education for out-of-school children by adapting internationally-recognized home-schooling models to refugee camp contexts.
  • Bila Hodood – an online clearinghouse for special needs education that centralizes  the dissemination and delivery of special needs teaching and training 
  • The Imagine Project which utilizes the use of inquiry- and activity-based educational methods and technologies to increase student engagement, performance and overall development.  

2013-14 cohort

The 2013-14 Learners’ were actively engaged in various activities designed to develop their  knowledge of current education issues as well as entrepreneurial, communication, and leadership skills.

The Program was delivered through two core residential sessions. The first residential session was held in Doha in January, covering modules on education and social entrepreneurship delivered by faculty from Wheelock College and Babson College (USA), respectively. The second residential session was hosted by Learners’ Voice partners Banco Santander (through its program Santander Universities) in Madrid, where Yale World Fellows and Studio Banana delivered a series of dynamic workshops on leadership, communication, and disruptive thinking.

The main goal of the Program is for the Learners to develop a project that addresses a critical issue in the field of education. The following project proposals have been developed during the course of the year:

  • Duende: A project addressing the social exclusion and stigmatization of Children Born of War in Uganda through arts education.   
  • ConnectEd: A mobile and web platform to improve student engagement and performance;
  • Orenda: A project engaging displaced populations in educative programs through the model of ‘co-creation’. 
  • Teach Abroad: An online platform to connect volunteer English teachers from all over the world to community centers in Haiti’s most marginalized areas;
  •  iSTEAM: A dynamic educational curriculum that uses cutting-edge technology such as 3D printing to bring 21st-century skills to students in Qatar
  • Passion to Profession: An innovative platform educating students about academic and career choices, and helping them make decisions based on their skills and passions.

In addition, the Learners participated in the following international education conferences where they were given the platform to share their views, present their projects and grow their networks:

From March 5 to 7, 2014, four members of the WISE Learners’ Voice Program, Jyoti Rahaman (Bangladesh), Esther McFarlane (South Africa), Ahsan Malik (UK) and Khalid Al-Saegh (Qatar) will be participating in the 9th Annual Education and Development Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. The event, organized by Tomorrow People Organization, is a forum and networking place for all those interested in exploring and discussing the interdependence between education and development.

For the first time this year, the WISE Learners will have the opportunity to present to an open audience the progress made on the design of their collective projects, which seek to address crucial issues in the field of education. Some of the project ideas include: increasing access to education using container schools, reintegrating children “born of war” in Uganda through arts education, empowering youth with effective career guidance, and enhancing STEAM education – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics – with 3D printers.

During the conference, the Learners will also be interviewing selected participants, blogging, and tweeting on their experience.

Four WISE Learners, Mariem Fekih (Tunisia), Fatima Ramadan (Spain), A’quilah Saiere (Singapore), and Abdullah Ahmad (Pakistan) will be attending the Global Education and Skills Forum (GESF) that will take place in Dubai, UAE, from March 15 to 17, 2014. 

The Learners will be participating in panel discussions and workshops, as well as networking with business leaders, government representatives and practitioners from the field of education.

The GESF is under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and is co-organized by UNESCO, Varkey GEMS Foundation and the UAE Ministry of Education, amongst other organizations. This year’s forum will focus on the themes of education, employment and equity.

When diversity meets innovation – Learners present their ideas at the Common Ground Conference in Vienna.

Interdisciplinary thinking, global conversations, and cross-institutional intellectual collaboration – these are the core ideas behind the 14thInternational Common Ground Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities and Nations , taking place in Vienna, Austria from 9 to 11 of July.
 
Four Learners, Evanne Nowak (The Netherlands), Maeve Dunne (Ireland), Nikhil D’Souza (India) and Muetaz Hamed (Yemen) will be taking part in the conference to present the projects they have been working on within the year-long Executive Education Program.

This is the second time this year that the Learners have been given the opportunity to introduce their concepts to a large international audience, all of the offered solutions addressing a pressing educational issue.
 
The conference, organized by Common Ground Publishing, aims at creating a privileged interdisciplinary meeting space for a diverse and creative knowledge community around the following topics: Identity and Belonging, Organizational Diversity, Education and Learning in a World of Differences, and Community Diversity and Governance.

From March 5 to 7, 2014, four members of the WISE Learners’ Voice Program, Jyoti Rahaman (Bangladesh), Esther McFarlane (South Africa), Ahsan Malik (UK) and Khalid Al-Saegh (Qatar) will be participating in the 9th Annual Education and Development Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. The event, organized by Tomorrow People Organization, is a forum and networking place for all those interested in exploring and discussing the interdependence between education and development.

For the first time this year, the WISE Learners will have the opportunity to present to an open audience the progress made on the design of their collective projects, which seek to address crucial issues in the field of education. Some of the project ideas include: increasing access to education using container schools, reintegrating children “born of war” in Uganda through arts education, empowering youth with effective career guidance, and enhancing STEAM education – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics – with 3D printers.

During the conference, the Learners will also be interviewing selected participants, blogging, and tweeting on their experience.

Four WISE Learners, Mariem Fekih (Tunisia), Fatima Ramadan (Spain), A’quilah Saiere (Singapore), and Abdullah Ahmad (Pakistan) will be attending the Global Education and Skills Forum (GESF) that will take place in Dubai, UAE, from March 15 to 17, 2014. 

The Learners will be participating in panel discussions and workshops, as well as networking with business leaders, government representatives and practitioners from the field of education.

The GESF is under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and is co-organized by UNESCO, Varkey GEMS Foundation and the UAE Ministry of Education, amongst other organizations. This year’s forum will focus on the themes of education, employment and equity.

When diversity meets innovation – Learners present their ideas at the Common Ground Conference in Vienna.

Interdisciplinary thinking, global conversations, and cross-institutional intellectual collaboration – these are the core ideas behind the 14thInternational Common Ground Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities and Nations , taking place in Vienna, Austria from 9 to 11 of July.
 
Four Learners, Evanne Nowak (The Netherlands), Maeve Dunne (Ireland), Nikhil D’Souza (India) and Muetaz Hamed (Yemen) will be taking part in the conference to present the projects they have been working on within the year-long Executive Education Program.

This is the second time this year that the Learners have been given the opportunity to introduce their concepts to a large international audience, all of the offered solutions addressing a pressing educational issue.
 
The conference, organized by Common Ground Publishing, aims at creating a privileged interdisciplinary meeting space for a diverse and creative knowledge community around the following topics: Identity and Belonging, Organizational Diversity, Education and Learning in a World of Differences, and Community Diversity and Governance.

After thorough evaluation, the following projects were selected to present at the 2014 WISE Summit:

2012-13 cohort

The 2012 group of Learners was present at the 2012 WISE Summit where they joined forces with the 2011 Learners to report from the event through video interviews and blogs, and took part in Debates, Workshops and a Forum session.

Throughout 2013, the Learners were involved in a year-long Executive Education Program. They gathered in Doha in June to take part in a residential session during which they had lectures and practical workshops on education, public policy and decision-making, social entrepreneurship, leadership and communication. They also worked in groups to learn how to address an educational challenge from a practical point of view through project work.

In order to deepen their understanding of educational issues, they also visited international conferences, networking and brainstorming with education experts from around the world and reporting live on the following events:

  • Empower 2013: ROTA’s 5th Annual Youth Conference on Leadership, Service Learning and Global Citizenship, Doha, Qatar
  • THE 2013, Doha, Qatar
  • Asian Youth Forum and the 46th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors at the Asian Development Bank, New Delhi, India
  • WISE/BC collaborative event, Manchester, UK
  • Wheelock College Inaugural International Conference, Global Challenges and Opportunities Facing Children, Youth and Families, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

The outputs of the Learners’ annual activities and insights gained from these international conferences were presented at the 2013 WISE Summit held on October 29-31, 2013, in Doha, Qatar.

2011-12 cohort

The WISE Learners recruited in 2011 attended the Summit that year and worked throughout 2012 on the theme Increasing Access to Relevant, High-Quality Education for All Learners through Innovation. Seven groups investigated access to education at various levels, including early childhood education and lifelong learning.

To inform their research, several 2011 Learners participated in key global events during the year.

Learners also visited two WISE Awards winning projects: School-Business Partnerships (Morocco) and the Self-Sufficient School (Paraguay), which allowed them to gain on-the-ground experience and understanding of educational challenges in two very different contexts.

The Learners presented the results of their year-long project at WISE 2012 through a dedicated Learners’ Voice Debate and shared the lessons learnt with their peers. Through active networking and meetings, they also sought expertise and advice from members of the WISE community to discuss projects they are currently involved with and ideas that they would like to develop in the future. 

Our community

2019-20 Learners

Archika Dogra

United States of America

Gia Hamed

Gia Hamed

United States of America

Souyeth Kret

Souyeth Kret

Cambodia

Vedaste Mugisha

Vedaste Mugisha

Democratic Republic of the Congo

2017-18 Learners

Sadiki Bamperineza

Sadiki Bamperineza

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Drew Edwards

Drew Edwards

United States of America

Anum Essa

Anum Essa

Pakistan

Charlotte Evans

Charlotte Evans

United States of America

Kelly Taylor

Kelly Taylor

Australia

Jesmin Nahar

Jesmin Nahar

Bangladesh

2016-17 Learners

Christina Ong

Christina Ong

United States of America

Fahad Al Musalmani

Fahad Al Musalmani

Qatar, Palestine

Gabriel Saruhashi

Gabriel Saruhashi

Brazil, Japan

Ghada Alhadad

Ghada Alhadad

Palestine

Tehreem Asghar

Tehreem Asghar

South Africa

Verona Gajang

Verona Gajang

South Sudan

2015-16 Learners

Eldin Buljubašić

Eldin Buljubašić

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Alisha Fredriksson

Alisha Fredriksson

Sweden/Canada

Khadija Hamouchi

Khadija Hamouchi

Morocco/Belgium

Jiyoung Hwang

Jiyoung Hwang

South Korea

Zeena Ojjeh

Zeena Ojjeh

United States of America / Syria

2014-15 Learners

Hizbullah Baryal

Hizbullah Baryal

Afghanistan

Sherif Elgindi

Sherif Elgindi

United States of America

Bonnie Lei

Bonnie Lei

United States of America

Deena Newaz

Deena Newaz

Bangladesh

Memoonah Zainab

Memoonah Zainab

United Kingdom / Pakistan

Shaima Ziara

Shaima Ziara

Palestine

2013-14 Learners

Ahwaz Akhtar

Ahwaz Akhtar

Pakistan

profile picture not provided unavailable

Asma Al Khulaifi

Qatar

Abir Bouguerra

Abir Bouguerra

France/Tunisia

Al'Amin Cissi

Al'Amin Cissi

United States of America

Ahsan Ali Malik

Ahsan Ali Malik

United Kingdom/Pakistan

Anna Lina Evanne Nowak

Anna Lina Evanne Nowak

The Netherlands

2012-13 Learners

Kristina Bouree

Kristina Bouree

The Netherlands

Jenna Brashear

Jenna Brashear

United States of America

Aya Chebbi

Aya Chebbi

Tunisia

2011-12 Learners

Ivica Alpeza

Ivica Alpeza

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Michael Andrews

Michael Andrews

Trinidad and Tobago

Noor Doukmak

Noor Doukmak

United States of America

Saady Hamad

Saady Hamad

Palestine

Zaid Haque

Zaid Haque

United States of America

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Yasmeen Dawwas

Palestine

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Zainab Sultan

India

Mentors

A central element of the WISE Learners’ Voice Program is the development of group projects that seek to introduce innovative solutions to pressing education issues. To support Learners in the development of their projects, we match groups with mentors from the WISE community who provide expert guidance on the development of their project ideas.

The role of the mentor is to share expertise, provide advice and exchange ideas with their group. The mentoring component has been an essential element of the Learners’ Voice Program and has added immense value to the experience of the Learners.

The following expert contributors have participated as mentors since 2013.

Mr. Osman Cakiroglu

Mr. Osman Cakiroglu

Kiron Open Higher Education, Turkey

Dr. Thomas Cassidy

Dr. Thomas Cassidy

Education Impact & The World Bank, United States of America

Ms Kelsey Dalrymple

Education Sector Working Group, Greece

Prof. Pierluigi Musarò

Prof. Pierluigi Musarò

University of Bologna, Italy

Ms Heleen Terwijn

Ms Heleen Terwijn

IMC Weekend School, the Netherlands

Mr. Raj Kumar Gandharba

Mr. Raj Kumar Gandharba

Voluntary Service Overseas, Nepal

Ms Lori Hsu

Ms Lori Hsu

Immersed in Creativity, China

Mr. Peter Mousaferiadi

Mr. Peter Mousaferiadis

Cultural Infusion, Australia

Dr. Mania Mubaslat

Dr. Mania Mubaslat

Jordan Education Initiative, Jordan

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Dr. Michael Cappello

Yale World Fellows

Ms Tokunboh Ishmael

Ms Tokunboh Ishmael

Alithea Capital, Nigeria

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Ms Marina Lopez

Mr. Mahboob Mahmood

Mr. Mahboob Mahmood

Knowledge Platform, United States of America

Mr. Aldo Arce

Mr. Aldo Arce

Langua Jovenes, Mexico

Mr. Hugo Vilela

Mr. Hugo Vilela

Places4All, Portugal

Ms Rachel Awad

Dr. Rachel Awad

Silatech, Qatar

Dr. Khalid S. Al-Yahya

Dr. Khalid S. Al-Yahya

IThra Youth Initiative, Saudi Arabia

Mr. Mohammed Rezwan

Mr. Mohammed Rezwan

Shidulai Swanirvar Sangstha, Bangladesh

Ms Joke van der Leeuw-Roord

Ms Joke van der Leeuw-Roord

EUROCLIO, the Netherlands

Mr. David Nicoll

Mr. David Nicoll

Studio School, United Kingdom

Ms Carolyn Acker

Ms Carolyn Acker

Pathways to Education, Canada

Mr. Michael Furdyk

Mr. Michael Furdyk

TakingITGlobal, Canada

Ambassadors

María Constanza Cardinali

María Constanza Cardinali

Executive Director, Social Inclusion Foundation
Argentina

Alisha Fredriksson

Global partnerships, Generation
Sweden, Canada

Ezequiel Jimenez

Ezequiel Jimenez

International Non-Governmental Organisation practitioner & strategist, Amnesty International
Argentina

Alexander Walzl

Alexander Walzl

Consultant, EY
Italy