The main plenary of the Learning Planet Festival 2026 will mark the official launch of the Learning Planet Academy, created to equip learners of all ages to engage —with curiosity, agency and responsibility—in the major challenges of our time. Bringing together leading voices from the United Nations system, UNESCO, the student community and civil society, this session will explore how education can evolve in the face of accelerating technological, social and planetary transformations. From education in the age of AI to the global pressures facing education systems, and the often-invoked yet rarely practised co-construction with youth, the plenary will spotlight a shared vision for learning that is genuinely transformative, inclusive and future-oriented.
Rooted in 20 years of experimentation at the Learning Planet Institute, the Learning Planet Academy is built around three core pillars: Environment & Climate, Peace & Democracy, and Mental Health & Well-being. This plenary will articulate the Academy’s ambition to move beyond inherited silos, in order to foster interdisciplinary learning communities that connect institutions, educators, learners and young people across the world. By placing learners at the heart of change, the Learning Planet Academy aims to empower current and future generations to build better futures, for themselves and for the planet.
