EdYOUFest: What Happens When Teachers Are Put at the Centre

As another year draws to a close, it feels right to pause—not to count events, countries, or numbers, but to return to a simpler and more important question:

Why does EdYOUFest exist at all?

EdYOUFest did not begin as a project, a brand, or a carefully designed plan.It began as a conversation.

In the summer of 2015, after days spent inside school theatres filled with teachers, walking through the streets of Palermo, something became impossible to ignore. Educators were not asking for more conferences. They were asking for connection. For spaces where their voices could be heard, their experiences recognised, and their professional growth could feel deeply human.

That evening, over dinner, a simple but radical idea took shape:

What if professional development truly belonged to teachers—not as an audience, but as protagonists?

That question has guided every step since.

Why “Festival” Was Never a Label

Calling it a festival was never a stylistic choice.It was a statement of intent.

Festivals are open. They invite participation. They belong to people, not institutions.

From the very beginning, EdYOUFest chose schools over hotels, dialogue over hierarchy, community over consumption. It was built on the belief that every teacher has something worth sharing, and that learning happens not only in workshops, but in conversations, walks, meals, and moments of genuine exchange.

That belief has never changed.

What has changed is how far it has travelled.

From One City to a Shared Voice

Over the years, EdYOUFest has crossed borders, languages, and cultures—Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Greece, Romania, Japan, Malta, and beyond. Yet it never set out to grow by becoming bigger for its own sake.

It grew by listening.

Each edition added something new: greater inclusion, hybrid formats, online programmes, professional communities in regions where access to international training is limited, and opportunities for teachers to remain connected long after an event ended.

Even during the years of physical distance and uncertainty, when meeting in person was impossible, the community did not fade. It strengthened. EdYOUFest proved that it was never tied to a place—it was carried by people.

What This Year Made Clear

This year, more than any other, confirmed something essential:

EdYOUFest is no longer just an annual event.It is an ecosystem.

An ecosystem built on:

• shared responsibility

• generosity of expertise

• trust between educators

• and the belief that professional development should be accessible, continuous, and meaningful

From conferences to webinars, from blogs to magazines, from mentoring spaces to international communities, everything moves in the same direction:

teachers at the centre—always.

Looking Forward

As we step into a new year, the question that first emerged in Palermo continues to guide every decision:

Does this serve teachers?Does this build community?Does this keep EdYOUFest human?

If the answer is yes, we move forward.

To everyone who attended, spoke, volunteered, hosted, wrote, supported, questioned, or simply believed—thank you.EdYOUFest belongs to you because it was discovered with you.

And the movement continues.

See you in the next chapter.

Giovanni Rottura Founder, EdYOUFest