2. Introducing GELP
The Global Education Leaders’ Program (GELP) sets out to transform
education, effectively and sustainably, at local, national, and global levels.
It is a partnership of thought leaders and consultants from world-class
organizations, collaborating in a new global economy with teams of key
education leaders who are seriously committed to transforming education
in practice and developing the personal skills to lead the changes
required.

3. The Program Objectives
• To accelerate and sustain transformation within GELP members’ local
systems and nations.
• To develop transformational capacity and personal efficacy within
education system leaders.
• To advocate and continually refine the vision of 21st century teaching
and learning.
• To facilitate an interactive and growing global community of education
leaders and change agents.

4. Background to the Program
GELP arose from a set of key ideas explored in explored in a publications
stream commissioned by Cisco between 2008 and 2010:
Equipping Every Learner for the 21st Century
The Learning Society
Learning from the Extremes
These papers make a compelling argument that the current system of
schooling is insufficient for the evolving information age and the dynamic
conditions of the 21st century.
Three principal drivers of globalization, demographic shifts and
technological revolution are rapidly rendering current schooling systems
inadequate.

5. Education 3.0
GELP’s central thesis is that it is system transformation, not school
improvement, which is the necessary response. A transformed system:
• aims to provide equitable access to higher order capabilities;
• is achieved through holistic change because the system is complex
and interdependent;
• is characterized by a transfer of ownership from teachers to learners;
• is accelerated by collaborative learning technologies.
The outcomes can be described as Education 3.0.

6. GELP Partners
The partners in GELP are:
Cisco
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Promethean Ltd
Ellen Koshland Family Fund
Innovation Unit
The program also draws on specialist contributions from a range of
partners, including Hay Group, the Harvard School of Education,
McKinsey & Co., Bridge, and the Asia Education Foundation.

7. The GELP Offer:
Global dialogue, community and collaboration
Global Learning Events
Members gather every six months to share practices, goals and
challenges. Events are hosted in participating countries and cities, with
sessions lead by partner organizations, invited specialists and the GELP
consultancy team.
GELP Space
GELP members join a private online community which offers a platform
for sharing resources and discussions.

8. The GELP Offer:
World Class Consultancy
Each team works with a consultant to refine, strategize and address their
challenges.
Consultancy support is tailored to the needs of the team, but takes the
form of:
• Induction to the program.
• Support and facilitation at each of the global events
• A consultancy visit after the first global event, and
• Three planned and debriefed Cisco Telepresence meetings.

9. The GELP Commitment
Participation in GELP requires a considerable commitment from teams to:
• Agree a governance model, including an Executive Sponsor, to ensure
support for team members’ participation
• Identify a focus for their reform agenda, which will be stretched and
challenged through the GELP process
• Select a team capable of supporting and extending the program’s
ambitions
• Make an active and sustained contribution to the program
• Provide suitable resources, including time, expenses and potentially
the hosting of a global event.

10. The GELP Participant Teams
The program has so far welcomed teams from:
Australia
Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
England
Finland
New York City, USA
New Zealand
Ontario, Canada
South Korea
Victoria, Australia

11. GELP Members
GELP members are:
• Respected, high potential system leaders, in a position of influence,
already tackling challenging reform issues.
• Bold and innovative thinkers, intellectually curious and ready to learn.
• Ready for Education 3.0 and its inherent challenges.
• Networked and connected influencers, able to build coalitions and
inspire others.
• Leaders with a global perspective, who are willing to devote time and
energy to the program.

12. GELP members have demonstrated that they are:
• Politically astute
• Collaborative leaders
• Confident and courageous
• Resilient and energetic
• Outward looking, visionary and inspirational
• Analytical and creative systems thinkers.
They are highly knowledgeable about their education systems and
committed to global reform.