Empowering the Next Generation of Educators
Celebrating Starting Year Two of the Educators Ambassador Programme
Building on the success of our initial pilot with the University of Bedfordshire, Learning Allowed is thrilled to share that we are back for our second consecutive year running the LEARN 2050 Educators Ambassador Programme with the university’s Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) 2026-27 cohort!
When we first introduced this programme to trainee teachers, our goal was clear: bridge the gap between how we experience learning - both as learners and educators.
By introducing trainee teachers to Learning Allowed’s Five Elements and helping them explore the connection between how we feel and how we learn, we aim to support future teachers build trusting, adaptable environments that value every student’s unique journey.
During a recent interactive workshop at the University of Bedfordshire, this year’s PGCE cohort shared their personal motivations for entering the teaching profession and reflected on the kind of learning spaces they hope to build. The responses were inspiring and aligned directly with the core ethos of our LEARN 2050 Educators Ambassador Programme.
What Inspires Today's Trainee Teachers?
Every teacher’s journey begins with a spark. When we asked the PGCE cohort what inspired them to teach, their answers highlighted a deep commitment to making a positive impact on young lives:
🧩 "To help others and inspire."
🧩 "Wanting to help people and level the playing field."
🧩 "Becoming the teacher I wish I had when I was younger."
🧩 "Having had a brilliant teacher who was incredibly supportive and really pushed all of us to see and aim for our potential."
🧩 "Want to inspire and prepare students for wider world."
These aspirations reflect a strong desire to offer learners guidance, empathy, and genuine connection. However, turning these hopes into daily classroom practice requires tools that empower both educators and learners.
Overcoming Educational Barriers
When reflecting on systemic challenges in education, 42 out of 44 respondents agreed or knew someone whose ambition to learn had been interrupted by a "lack of value, voice, and vision."
When invited to consider the difference between learning as performance versus learning as navigation, students expressed concerns over rigid structures that limit student potential:
⛔️ "Teachers that teach to the constraints of how to sit a GCSE paper/get a good grade rather than teaching them essential skills/knowledge..."
⛔️ "Cramming facts in order to pass exams rather than giving space to students to discover knowledge."
⛔️ "Limitations for students rather than being adaptable to ensure the students still reach their goal. (I call it the country road journey)."
The LEARN 2050 Educators Ambassador Programme directly addresses these challenges by encouraging teachers to move away from rigid, one-size-fits-all frameworks. By exploring how external factors and emotions influence learner engagement, the programme supports trainee teachers to see the individual learner, fueling each of these personal journeys of discovery.
How the LEARN 2050 Educators Ambassador Programme Supports PGCE Trainees
To energize personal journeys of discovery in the classroom, the PGCE cohort identified several key practices during our workshop exercises:
Fostering Relational Practice & Empathy | “Show students we are human and that we struggle with things too – it's okay to be vulnerable sometimes!"
Promoting Learner Autonomy | "Helping them to feel in control of their education and learning."
Personalized Connection | "Treat them as individuals – get to know them and their interests so you can relate their curriculum learning to other interests..."
Building Encouraging Environments | "Encouragement: It is immense what a genuinely encouraging environment can do for pupils in school..."
It was motivating, encouraging and inspiring to hear the thoughts of this group of students who had only just started their teacher training. By continuing to recognise this link between how we feel and how we learn, it is clear that these trainee teachers will make a very positive difference to the learning communities they are part of.
Looking Ahead
The LEARN 2050 Educators Ambassador Programme is about nurturing that ‘spark’ that led to this group of individuals becoming teachers, both during their training and when they start in the classroom. We look forward to supporting this new cohort of future teachers and encouraging their passion, hope and aspirations to equip children and young people be ready to adapt and thrive.
➡️ To learn more about the inception of this initiative, read about our inaugural ambassador trial programme.
➡️ Get in touch ask@learningallowed.org to start this programme for PGCE students at your university!
