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EdYOUfest
Conference

Derry, Northern Ireland

13th - 14th - 15st

February 2026

Join us as a speaker - submit a proposal

With the support of

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Thanks to the collaboration with D.i.S.A.L. (Association of School Leaders), accredited by the Italian Ministry of Education and Merit, participation in EdYOUFest Derry entitles teachers to official ministerial leave as a recognised training course.
Italian Teachers can register through the SOFIA platform.

John McGowan
Managing Director, The North West Academy of English

Team

Local EdYOUFest Derry Team

Francesca

Giacomini

John

McGowan

Clare

Heaney

Facilities

Konrad

Radlak

Magda

Boyle

Chris

McGowan

Plenaries, Workshops
Certificate
Ceremony

The North West
Academy of English

Culturlann
37 Great James sreeet
BT487DF Derry

https://northwestacademy.net/our-academy/

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Gala
Dinner

24, Bishop Street
Derry - BT48 6PP

Programme

Day One:

- 08.30 – 09.15: Meeting at the host school

- 09.15 – 09.55: Local authorities and organizers welcome

- 10.00 – 11.30: First Plenary Session: Charles Browne

The Vocabulary Revolution: How Corpus Tools,

Extensive Reading, and AI Can Transform

Learning

- 11.45 – 12.30: Workshops:

Board Room, Clare Heane

Igniting the Fire Within: Motivating Learners

in the EFL Classroom

Room 2, Qasserras Lhoussine

Teaching with Heart and Mind: Human

Qualities That AI Cannot Replace

Room 3, Pina Sekmen

Fostering Curiosity: Through the Power

of the Ripple Effect

- 12.30 – 13.45: Lunchtime

- 14.00 – 15.30: Second Plenary Session: Catherine Mantadaki

Mediation in EFL Teaching: Enhancing the

Human Advantage in Learning

- 15.45 – 16.30: Workshops:

Board Room, Alex Mackenzie

Flexibility over formula: post-method

language teaching

Room 2, Alona Korniienko

Inside the Mental Lexicon: Coaching the

Brain Toward Language Autonomy

Room 3, Lawrence Body

The creative heart of teaching. Integrating

mindfulness and compassion into the

classroom

- 16.45 – 18.00: Third Plenary Session: Robert Howard

You Can't Program Passion - Why AI Can't

Replace the Heart of Teaching

- 18.00 – 20.15: Free time

- 19.30 – 22.30: Gala Dinner with Music and Dance

Day Two:

- 09.30 – 09.50: Meeting at the host school

- 10.00 – 11.30: Fourth Plenary Session: Thomas Jones

Teaching for tomorrow

- 11.45 – 12.30: Workshops:

Board Room, Olena Kuzmenko

AI for teachers who don't have time:

tools that save planning hours

Room 2, Eng Hai Tan

Happy Hormones in Action – Energizers to

Boost Motivation, Focus, and Classroom

Dynamics

Room 3, Ruairi O'Connor

Tip and Tricks for AI in the classroom and

recognising in its use with students

- 12.30 – 13.45: Lunchtime

- 14.00 – 14.50: Poster sessions

- 15.00 – 15.50: Workshops:

Board Room, John Dobbins

Introductory Irish-language session

Room 2, Antonina Devitska

Voice, Identity and AI: Creating Speech Portraits

of Students through Voccent

Room 3, Inesa Melnyk

Beyond the Algorithm: Crafting Human-

Centered AI Experiences in EFL

- 16.00 – 17.00: Panel with Rob Howard, Charles Browne

and Mantadaki

- 17.00 – 18.00: Certificate Ceremony

- 18.00 – 20.00: Irish music and dance

Day Three:

- 8.30 – 11.30: Cultural Day Tour

Master of Ceremony

Konrad

Radlak

Cultural Trip

Cultural Day Tour

Start time: 10:00am
Meeting point: Guildhall Square (central, easy to find)

Route & Stops:

Guildhall Square — introduction: the history of Londonderry, importance in regional and national history.
Walk part of the City Walls — view landmarks, gates, fortifications; talk about Plantation, Siege of Derry.
St Columb’s Cathedral / Long Tower (if nearby) — religious history, architectural context.
Cross via Peace Bridge (if time allows) — talk about reconciliation, modern civic space.
Bogside & Murals — include Free Derry Corner, Bloody Sunday memorial, murals, civil rights stories.
End at Museum of Free Derry (or another museum) — so those who want to stay on can explore further or have a break / reflection session.

The guided tour will be provided by DerryBlueBadgeGuide.com is one of the fastest growing tour guiding companies in Ireland. The company is run by Michael Cooper, the first Blue Badge Tourist Guide in Derry City (the Blue Badge is the highest accreditation in tour guiding). Michael is a former employee of Derry Visitor & Convention Bureau, the key tourism agency in Ireland’s northwest. He is also a triple graduate from the University of Ulster with qualifications including Bachelor and Masters degrees in Irish History & Politics which ensure tours can be designed covering any aspect of Irish history.

Speakers