Building Skills, Strengthening Communities: The Global Impact of Learning Festivals

• In Event: Empowering parents and communities through education and technology

Proposal

The idea that education is a shared responsibility involving schools, families, businesses, and community organizations has fostered a growing recognition of the importance of holistic and lifelong learning (Bronfenbrenner, 1975; Epstein, 2011; Delors, 1996). This perspective acknowledges that education extends beyond the classroom and is influenced by a wide range of actors. In an era of rapid societal, environmental, and technological change, learning festivals have emerged as influential tools for reshaping the way we approach learning (Author, 2024; Turbot and Duncan-Bauné, 2022).

The concept of festivals has been around for millennia, historically intertwined with cultural and religious rituals (Cudny, 2016). While modern-day festivals are often oriented toward entertainment, learning festivals build on these models to showcase education and, in doing so, generate both educational and societal benefits. Learning festivals are community-oriented, time-bound events that bring together multiple stakeholders around a specific purpose or theme; their aim is to provide creative and immersive learning experiences that engage participants of all ages (Author, 2024). Learning festivals foster learning ecosystems, made up of interconnected education providers collaborating to expand who learns, what is learned, and where learning takes place (Clayton et al., 2021).

Theoretical Framework and Methods
Grounded in Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and building on Epstein's framework for family and community engagement, this paper situates learning festivals within broader theoretical discourses on shared educational responsibilities and collaborative ecosystems. The research employs a qualitative design, including a review of relevant literature on learning ecosystems and community engagement in education, complemented by more than 20 semi-structured interviews with education experts, festival organizers, and youth participants. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data, revealing insights into how learning festivals impact educational practices and community engagement.

Findings and Contributions
Our findings focus on three key areas: 1) How learning festivals build 21st-century skills, including by harnessing digital technology; 2) The underpinning factors that contribute to the sustainability of these festivals; and 3) The role of public-private partnerships in helping festivals achieve their goals.

In a changing world, young people need a diverse set of skills to thrive in school, work, and life (Brynjolfsson and McAfee, 2016; Winthrop et al., 2019). Learning festivals offer innovative ways to build 21st-century skills such as problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking. The festivals we studied expose students to these skills and structure their themes around real-time learning and career development opportunities, often through the use of digital technology. Moreover, the festivals empower youth by involving them in the design and execution of events.

Our analysis also sheds light on the sustainability of learning festivals, investigating why families and learners attend, why host organizations continue to participate, and why new festivals emerge in different regions. We identified four key factors that contribute to festival sustainability: meaningful collaboration among stakeholders, trust-building within the learning ecosystem, the use of financial and staffing support systems, and place-based models that align with local contexts.

Cross-sector partnerships play a vital role in the success of learning festivals. These partnerships involve non-governmental organizations, governments, and private-sector actors, who contribute through sponsorships, volunteerism, and alignment with broader policy initiatives like career-readiness. The paper also explores the challenges and innovations in capturing the impact of learning festivals, particularly when measuring behavioral change—one of the core objectives of most festivals.

The paper offers a unique global perspective on learning festivals, with comparative insights from diverse geographic contexts, contributing original findings on the development of 21st-century skills and the role of communities in advancing learning ecosystems. The research highlights how collaborative, community-based educational approaches can foster innovation and sustainability, providing vital opportunities to reimagine education in a rapidly evolving digital society.

Author

• Lauren Ziegler, Stanford University