The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Global Institute for Shaping a Better Future, an initiative of Teach For All, have reached an agreement to strengthen collaboration on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4).

The collaboration formalizes a decade of partnership between UNESCO and Teach For All and comes at a critical moment as the global community approaches the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals and considers the future of education. With over 250 million children still out of school and many more not learning at grade level, the partnership reflects a shared urgency to accelerate progress in the face of global challenges, from conflict and climate change to technological disruption

1. Through 2029, the collaboration will focus on four critical areas:
   Strengthening and Diversifying Teacher Workforce and Capacity: Expanding access to professional learning opportunities that cultivate educators’ ability to foster holistic student development, including skills for peace, sustainability, and digital fluency.
2. Expanding Access to Open Educational Resources: Linking the Institute’s Resource Hub with the Teacher Task Force Knowledge Platform, hosted by UNESCO, to share high-quality, context-rich materials accessible to governments, teachers, and civil society worldwide.
3. Advancing Research and Evidence Generation: UNESCO and the Global Institute will identify complementary areas of research focus to bridge the evidence-to-practice gap by engaging global and local researchers and generating insights into holistic student development and effective practices for systemic change.
4. Joint Advocacy and Thought Leadership: UNESCO and the Institute are committed to keeping education and teachers at the forefront of global efforts to achieve a more sustainable and equitable world. Together, they will identify opportunities for joint advocacy aligned with Education 2030 and SDG4.

“Through this collaboration with UNESCO, we are working to ensure that the cross-border learning generated through Teach For All’s Global Institute for Shaping a Better Future strengthens education systems worldwide so that every child develops the leadership skills to shape a better future for themselves and for all of us,” said Wendy Kopp, CEO and Co-founder of Teach For All. “Achieving this will require transforming classrooms and systems, supporting teachers' leadership development, generating evidence that informs practice, and advocating together to reshape education as a critical lever for reshaping the world.”

“Teachers are the backbone of our education systems. Without a diversified and strong teaching profession, we cannot achieve quality and equitable education for all. Their professional knowledge and classroom experience must guide policy development and implementation,” said Stefania Giannini, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education. “Our collaboration with Teach For All will help advance the Santiago Consensus aiming at restoring teaching and the education workforce at large as a respected, intellectually rewarding, and properly funded profession. The future of education depends on it.”