In April, 92 participants and alumni of Teach For All network partners in 20 countries came together for a four-day event in Madrid, Spain. The event, Madrid Calling, was organized entirely by participants of Empieza por Educar (Teach For All’s partner organization in Spain), and was inspired by a similar gathering—Vienna Calling—that was organized by Teach For Austria alumni in 2018. 

“At Vienna Calling we were shocked to discover that no matter where we were from, our challenges with students were surprisingly similar,” Madrid Calling co-organizer Carlos Aceituno said, describing his first encounter with teachers from across the Teach For All network. “Having the opportunity to spend four days together was an amazing formula to enhance sharing on both professional and emotional levels. We instantly thought that we couldn't let it die there, and got the idea of replicating Vienna Calling to give the opportunity to other network teachers to share their stories, experiences and projects.”

With guidance from the Vienna Calling organizers, Carlos and his Empieza por Educar colleagues Sergi Cumplido and Natalia Herrera began planning Madrid Calling. “From the beginning, our main purposes were to connect with other participants and alumni from the network and to offer global perspectives on the Teach For All network approach—that's why one of our goals was to have representatives from each of the regions where Teach For All has a presence,” Carlos explained. “We also wanted to do something bigger, more diverse, and involving students.” 

Watch the video above for highlights and reflections from Madrid Calling, and subscribe to Connect! to learn about more events and opportunities for network participants and alumni.