In 2023, LabXchange and Teach For All initiated a new collaboration: a workshop series that empowers science educators to effectively integrate the Teaching As Collective Leadership (TACL) framework. By coupling the TACL framework with LabXchange’s library of over 32,000 learning and teaching resources in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), the STEAM Education Leadership workshop series responds to the dire need for high-quality pedagogical training in STEM around the world. 

Teach For All is a global network of 63 independent, locally led organizations and a global organization united by a commitment to developing collective leadership to ensure all children can fulfill their potential. The TACL framework aims to not only provide a comprehensive, customizable teaching framework for educators, but also to encourage learners to take on leading roles in the future of their own STEM education and careers.

The Second STEAM Education Leadership Workshop series convened 50 highly motivated Teach For All and LabXchange educators from countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America for four workshops. The first workshop highlighted the purpose of STEAM Education, aligning teaching with preparing students for the future. The second workshop gave educators the opportunity to engage in hands-on, collaborative activities designed to help students connect classroom learning with real-world STEM applications. In the third workshop, educators focused on creating engaging, leadership-oriented STEAM teaching and learning resources. Finally, the last workshop provided space for participants to share these resources, highlighting key features—such as their connections to community and global challenges, or their focus on career readiness—and reflecting on their intended impact on student learning.

As complex, globally relevant issues—such as climate change, food insecurity, energy shortages, and environmental degradation—become increasingly urgent, it is our responsibility to equip students with the problem-solving and leadership skills they need to navigate and address these challenges. High-quality STEM education plays a critical role in preparing young people to engage meaningfully with the world around them and shape a more sustainable, equitable future.

LabXchange is proud to collaborate with Teach For All in support of our shared vision of a world where all children have the education, support, and opportunity to shape a better future. The third workshop series is now underway, and Teach For All case studies, videos, narratives and other content are now available on LabXchange.

We spoke to the Tarek Chehidi, the global head of Future of Work at Teach For All, to learn more about the workshop series—and what’s next.

What is Teach For All's vision for STEM education?

We envision a world where all children and youth, regardless of their socioeconomic background, have access to a holistic education that will help them unlock opportunities to thrive, shape meaningful careers in an evolving economy, and grow as leaders who will contribute to the economic and social development of the world in which they live. This requires equipping educators with the training and support they need, adapting curricula to include practical problem-solving rooted in students’ contexts, and expanding access to high-quality resources and learning experiences that build STEAM skills—starting in primary education to ensure early and sustained engagement. More on our approach to STEAM education can be found here.

Can you share more about the Teaching As Collective Leadership framework?

Today’s children will inherit a challenging world. To create a more just, equitable, and sustainable society, they will need to navigate uncertainty, collaboratively solve complex problems, and create meaningful careers in a changing economy. Teaching As Collective Leadership (TACL) is an attempt to meet this challenge by learning from classrooms where students are on a path to fulfilling their potential. It is an actionable and locally customizable framework for teachers, teacher coaches, and program designers to grow students as leaders of a better future for themselves and their communities.

Over the last several years, Teach For All has hosted thousands of “virtual visits” to transformational classrooms around the world. We’ve asked participants in those experiences what patterns they see in those classrooms and communities where students seem to be growing as leaders of a better future. The Teaching As Collective Leadership framework is emerging from these insights.

In relation to STEM, our investigations revealed four elements in these classrooms:

1. Connect STEM learning to the world around us.
2. Engage in collaborative STEM teaching and learning by involving students and relevant stakeholders in the design and delivery of STEM education.
3. Invite leaders in the STEM field to speak to students about their experiences and the importance of leadership in their careers.
4. Connect STEM learning to holistic student outcomes.

More information about Teaching As Collective Leadership can be found here.

In your work, what have you found to be the areas of greatest need for STEM education worldwide?

High-quality STEM teaching materials and learning experiences must be designed to support educators without a STEM background, incorporate diverse perspectives and examples that reflect the world’s many cultures and experiences, and ensure all children have access to STEM learning starting from primary education. These resources should clearly connect classroom learning to real-world challenges and future career pathways—helping students recognize the relevance of their education to their lives and aspirations, while empowering them to grow as leaders who will tackle the problems facing their communities and the world.

[Editor’s note: LabXchange is taking steps to address these needs through a collaborative approach to content curation and development. By working with primary education–focused organizations like Science Buddies and Science Journal for Kids, as well as career-focused organizations like Futurum Careers and The Catalyst in Me, LabXchange has created a library of content that supports diverse learners and fosters career-connected learning. In addition, LabXchange has curated a large collection of narratives from real scientists located around the world, with the aim of demonstrating that anyone, anywhere, has a place in science.] 

How does collaborating with LabXchange complement Teach For All’s mission?

Teach For All recognized a pressing need from network partners and communities about the critical role of STEM education in preparing students for the future and supporting their communities. This feedback underscored the necessity for access to high-quality STEM resources. LabXchange offers high-quality STEM content and resources for teachers and secondary education teachers. This complements Teach For All’s mission by enhancing the quality and accessibility of STEM education, which is crucial for equipping students with the skills needed for future challenges.

LabXchange is also a platform that we can leverage to spread locally-led STEM content that connects STEM to student leadership and also reflects the diversity of the world. This aligns with Teach For All’s aim to ensure STEM education fosters student leadership and is inclusive and representative of different backgrounds and perspectives.

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Visit the Teach For All website for more information about the Future of Work initiative.