EdYOUFest: A Journey of Collaboration and Growth

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Founded in 2015, EdYOUFest started with a single mission: to be the most successful, creative, and ground-breaking English Language Teacher community in the world.

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Conceived by Giovanni Rottura and Chuck Sandy in the summer of 2015, EdYOUFest aimed to provide English language teachers with more opportunities to share their training experiences while also having fun together. After organizing numerous training and development events for teachers worldwide, it became clear that a special gathering was needed. This event would create a space where teachers could meet, develop lasting friendships, and foster collaboration beyond the event itself. Thus, EdYOUFest — short for "educational festival" — was born, reflecting its focus on teachers and education professionals.

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In September 2015, the first gathering took place in Genoa, Italy. We brought together some of the most well-known trainers from around the world to lay the foundation for a project that would prove to be effective right from the start. Over the course of three days, we held presentations, group work, and discussions, along with social activities that cemented a strong sense of community. By the end, EdYOUFest had officially come to life.

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In 2016, we held our first public event in Sicily at 'La Baia del Corallo di Palermo.' Teachers participated in various workshops and evening activities filled with music, song, and excursions. The success of that event set the tone for future gatherings, and EdYOUFest established its presence on social media.

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In 2017, EdYOUFest moved to the French countryside near Paris, continuing to attract educators from all over the globe.

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In 2018, we took the next step with three plenary sessions, aiming for a venue with high-level facilities. Millfield School in the UK, supported by Millfield Enterprises, proved to be the ideal location. The event was a great success, with 75 participants, 12 workshops, 3 plenary sessions, 5 business sponsors, and 9 new partners.

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Later in 2018, we launched a new website and formed a committee of six members, bolstered by support from Millfield Enterprises, 12 Fellows, and numerous volunteers.

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In 2019, we returned to Millfield and launched the first event fund to support teachers who otherwise might not have been able to join us.

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In 2020 and 2021, due to COVID-19, we transitioned to a fully online event that spanned two weeks.

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By 2022, we were back to face-to-face events in the beautiful city of Trapani, Sicily, with a hybrid format that blended in-person and online participation.

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2023 took us to Athens, Greece, where we welcomed 200 teachers and attracted multiple sponsors. The event was a resounding success, solidifying our reputation as a thriving community of educators.

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2024 marks a new chapter for EdYOUFest in Bucharest. Following our success in previous years, we are excited to grow even further and celebrate the strength of our now thriving global community of educators.

Georgiana-Octavia Cosneanu