Trainers' Forum Slidedoc

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Realizing the Future of Learning, Together

Welcome to
Trainers' Forum

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Come for a Walk with Us

Discover more about who we are, what we're up to, and how you can help shape the future of learning. Swipe, use arrow keys, or click on the shortcuts to start.

Invitation

The Invitation

Why We Do What We Do

Roots

The Roots

Who We Are & How We Work

Evolution

The Evolving Ecosystem

What We're Up To

Role

Your Role in The Story

How to Get Involved

The Invitation

Why We Do What We Do

This is more than a document - it's an invitation to connect, co-create, and contribute to a global community dedicated to stewarding the future of learning. We invite you to explore these pages as a potential partner, future collaborator, and fellow traveler on a shared quest.

Sarah Hearn - Mycelium Network: 9 Panel Polyptych, 2022

Credit: Sarah Hearn - Mycelium Network: 9 Panel Polyptych, 2022

We are in a time between worlds

Education needs help to evolve

Traditional models of knowledge transmission, segregated by age and discipline, are insufficient for an increasingly complex world. Envisioning, creating, and sustaining a protopian future requires a dynamic, interconnected educational ecosystem where knowledge flows freely, with learners and educators closing capacity gaps & generating new insights.

Our Essence

What It All Comes Down To

Purpose

Purpose

The chosen direction

To contribute to a sustainable and thriving society by realizing the future of learning.

Vision

Vision

The orienting destination

Relevant knowledge is within everyone's reach, co-created by a community stewarding the art, craft, and science of learning.

Mission

Mission

The engine to get there

Fostering the evolution of an educational ecosystem, bridging learners and learning providers, promoting learning literacy, and generating learning opportunities.

The Roots

Who We Are & How We Work

The grander the vision, the stronger the foundations required. This is why we take the What and How as seriously as the Why. We're commited to community and cooperation, because this adventure goes far beyond any single individual or organisation.

From a Single Spark to a Global Ecosystem

Trainers' Forum was not designed by following a top-down blueprint but was born from a genuine set of needs arising from multiple overlapping communities. It began as an international and interdisciplinary gathering of young educators and has since grown organically into a global, self-organised, for-purpose enterprise.

Milestones
Enterprise
Community
Organisation

A Self-Organised
For-Purpose Community

We're a For-Purpose Enterprise, operating on principles inspired by Holacracy and Sociocracy 3.0. Our structure arises from "purpose-agents", entrusted and empowered to take initiative, as they organise and generate value within the TsF Ecosystem. Becoming a TsF Member means entering three overlapping contexts:

  • The Community: As participants, we all take care of the human aspect including prosocial relationships, organisational micro-cultures, and (psycho-social) safety.
  • The Organisation: As contributors, we actively energize specific roles to the best of our ability and availability, tending to smaller aspects of our shared purpose.
  • The Enterprise: As partners, we're all invited to inform binding decisions about the use of shared resources, legal agreements, and representation of TsF and our roles.

Our Compass: The Values We Aspire To

Tap on any to dive deeper

Prosocially

Connecting Prosocially

Connecting, engaging, and collaborating mindfully, empathically, and respectfully, including everyone interested in the process.

Sustainably

Creating Sustainably

Operating ethically and responsibly, in a way that is sustainable from a personal, social, and ecological perspective.

Purposefully

Engaging Purposefully

Generating meaningful influence on how people learn & educate through whole-hearted contribution, creative innovation, and courageous experimentation.

Authentically

Showing up Authentically

Allowing ourselves and others to be sincere and open, extending each other the gift of trust and integrity, especially around the unknown.

Curiously

Exploring Curiously

Championing lifelong learning, cultivating a mindset of playful wonder, and embracing experimentation while embarking on shared learning journeys.

Our Methodological Foundations

Essential principles informing our approach

Evidence-based

Evidence-Based

Scouting for and synthesizing methodologies to support learning & development, both from modern, evidence-based recommendations and literature reviews, as well as reverse engineering time-tested nuggets of wisdom and rituals that simply work.

Epistemological framework →
Human-centric

Human-Centered

We place the learners at the heart of the educational experience, helping them develop ideas, skills, mindsets, and roles during the session, as well as supporting development, taransfer, and attainment of personally relevant goals.

Highlighted methodology →
Systemic

Systems-Inspired

We recognize that education is not an isolated experience but is constantly unfolding in nested complex systems. We draw on systems and network thinking to help design interventions and contexts, to generate lasting, positive, and prosocial change.

Applied evolutionary science →
Ecosystem Members Council

Nested Layers
of Community

We do our best to acknowledge, welcome, and support people and projects across different levels of engagement.

  • The TsF Ecosystem represents everyone participating in or benefiting from TsF activities, both in small and big ways.
  • Active TsF Members have completed our onboarding process, joined our internal working platforms, taken on at least one role, and help run the backstage of projects.
  • The Council (up to 18 people) is comprised from those members willing to take a proactive lead with taking care of foundational aspects of TsF as an organisation.

The Evolving Ecosystem

What We're Up To

Similar to natural ecosystems, stable flagship initiatives in TsF form the core, around which innovative projects stabilize as proofs of concept, with potentially transformative initiatives springing up at the edges as grander aspirations.

Flagship Initiatives

Core activities powering the heartbeat of TsF

The TsF Conference

An annual co-created event gathering an interdisciplinary, international, and intergenerational community of educators to network, collaborate, and exchange insights.

Join the upcoming one →

Data Science in Learning

Support with pioneering the use of advanced data science and AI to enhance learning design and evaluation, making effective and evidence-based education more broadly accessible.

Example publication →

Learning Hubs

A network of local learning hubs to connect around shared learning needs and fields of expertise, provide mutual (educational) support, and contribute to TsF campaigns.

Find or start yours →

Learning Experience Podcast

A platform for exploring promising topics and emerging trends from the frontiers of education with the extended TsF Ecosystem, through participatory sense-making.

Join the show →

Organisational Training Alliance

An invite-only network of HR and L&D organisational representatives for best practice exchange, consultation, organisational development, and community building.

Request and invite →

Trainers' Meetings (TRAMs)

A platform (the TRAM Station) to facilitate match-making between trainers, organisers, and participants, to help schedule more or less structured in-person learning experiences.

Cook one up →

Proofs of Concept

Successful past projects, requiring support to continue development

Online Training Festival

Initially a rapid crisis response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the OTF became the largest venture in the TsF ecosystem to date. This week-long virtual event brought together over 100 educators and 800 learners from more than 70 countries for over 100 training sessions.

Check out past guidelines →

Online Learning Lab

The Online Learning Lab is a virtual open stage, where members can host and attend live online learning sessions year-round. It serves as a sandbox for testing new ideas, honing (online) facilitation skills, and making knowledge you find relevant accessible to all.

Learn More →

Special Interest Groups

Semi-public virtual spaces hosted for learners & educators to explore and collaborate on topics of shared interest, without any additional commitments to TsF as an organisation, serving as a network for cross-polination of ideas across borders and disciplines.

Reach out to propose one →

Future Horizons

Aspirations to address world-class challenges and opportunities

Learning & Development Guidelines

Systematically conducting and summarising scientific research to compile and disseminate evidence-based recommendations for quality assurance and ethics in education, contributing to the much needed educational (r)evolution.

Get the ball rolling →

Trainers' Certification System

Providing continuous psychometrically valid benchmarking and multi-source behavioural vetting of key educator competencies through modular, evidence-based, and gamified assessments that can be trusted as indicators of proficiency.

Get the ball rolling →

Knowledge Exchange

Designing and building a "torrenting-like" platform for the exchange of knowledge, where educators can share expertise, find co-delivery partners, and be contacted by learners who could geniuinely benefit from their services, with evaluation and feedback support.

Get the ball rolling →

Your Role in The Story

How to Get Involved

Given you've come this far, we'll bet you're sensing a spark of interest and some overlap between what you find meaningful, and the purpose of TsF! If that's true, we trust you'll find a way to join us from the options ahead, and help write the next chapter of educational history!

Passionate about Learning & Education?

Ways to benefit and contribute as a...

Lifelong Learner

Access a diverse range of learning opportunities, explore new interests, and engage with a community passionate about personal and professional development.

Get involved →

Novice Trainer

Develop your educational approach, connect wiht peers & mentors, test out training designs and methods in a supportive environment, and gather high-quality feedback.

Get involved →

Freelance Professional

Expand your network, find collaborators for new projects, broaden and deepen your skill set, and enrich your reputation by participating in a global community of practice.

Get involved →

Formal Educator

Connect with practitioners outside of academia, exchange cutting-edge methods with the broader expert public, and find collaborators for international research initiatives.

Get involved →

Looking for a Strategic Ally in Learning & Development?

Ways to benefit and contribute as organisations which are...

NGOs & Non-Profits

Find skilled facilitators or active participants for your programs, partner on grant applications, and amplify your impact through our global network.

Reach out →

Companies & HR Services

Source top-tier L&D talent, empower your teams through the Organisational Training Alliance, and tap into cutting-edge insights and methodologies.

Reach out →

Educational Institutions

Collaborate on research, provide students with practical experience, or help co-create methodologically and substantively innovative curricula for the future of education.

Reach out →

Foundations & Philanthropists

Support us to build scalable, high-impact (peer) learning infrastructures and support a thriving ecosystem dedicated to enriching and safeguarding the educational commons.

Reach out →

Not Sure Where to Start?

Move beyond the page, and connect with us to experience TsF vibes

Join us in Person

The best way to get to know who we are and the what we're up to is to join and co-create the TsF Conference as our main flagship event.

Co-create the Conference →

Join the Conversation

Connect with over 2,700 educators in our Facebook group to raise questions, ask for input, share insights, or extend calls and invitations.

Join Us Online →

Join as a Member

To enrich the crew of TsF Members working in the backstage with your presence, help shape the organization's direction, and care out your personally meaningful role, click below!

Schedule Welcome Meeting →

Let's Talk!

The journey to realize the future of learning is already well underway. If this is something you care about and are willing to contribute to, we already consider you a part of our tribe.

Welcome.