What was the Fun Learning Conference 2026?
The inaugural Fun Learning Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, was a landmark event for early childhood education and care. In March 2026, we successfully brought together over 200 teachers, caregivers, school leaders, policymakers, and researchers. Together, we demonstrated that learning is most powerful when it is joyful, practical, effective, and deeply human.
Evidence in Action
The conference showcased proven, real-world approaches to play-based and creative learning—from early childhood classrooms to university-level teacher training. Through 12+ hands-on workshops and live demonstrations, educators gained practical strategies and innovative tools that are now being applied in classrooms across Rwanda to foster more engaging and inclusive environments.
“Our vision is clear: to provide a holistic and inclusive education that prepares our students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.”
DG Nelson Mbarushimana (REB)
Who Benefited?
Teachers
“Safe to Learn. Fun to Play. Every Day!”
Teachers gained practical tools and strategies that are already being implemented in classrooms across Rwanda. Through interactive workshops and live demonstrations, over 100 educators mastered how to design lessons supporting language, numeracy, emotional wellbeing, assessment, and student agency. They explored the creative use of everyday materials and received a strategic introduction to the role of AI in the classroom.
Participants left with ready-to-use resources and a new framework to communicate the value of Fun Learning to parents and school leaders. By connecting with peers and experts, they are now part of a nationwide network of Fun Learning Ambassadors who understand and navigate classroom realities together.
Policymakers
Policymakers gained direct insights into evidence-based approaches that make education more engaging, inclusive, and effective. Through high-level dialogue with teachers and international researchers, they explored how play-based and hybrid learning models significantly improve student outcomes.
The conference provided concrete examples of successful programs that are now informing policy design, curriculum development, and teacher training. These insights are currently supporting strategic decisions for resource allocation to enable meaningful, high-quality learning for every child in Rwanda.
Researchers and Academia
Researchers and academics successfully bridged the gap between theory and practice. By engaging directly with practitioners on the ground, academic leaders from institutions like the Catholic University of Rwanda and Texas A&M co-designed new research priorities.
Participants observed innovative practices in real-time, discussed funding and resourcing opportunities, and established new collaborations. These partnerships are now strengthening both the scholarship of early childhood education and its practical, scalable impact across the continent.
Why Bringing Everyone Together Mattered
The true strength of the 2026 Fun Learning Conference was the synergy created by bringing teachers, policymakers, and researchers into the same room. This cross-sector dialogue ensured that innovative ideas were informed by classroom realities, protected by national policy, and validated by rigorous research.
This unified front has laid the foundation for the Kigali Declaration, ensuring that the Fun Learning movement is sustainable, scalable, and deeply rooted in the Rwandan context.
Program
Day 1 Recap: Policymakers & Academia
Building National Fun Learning Ecosystems
Day One successfully launched with a series of high-level keynotes and research-driven dialogues. These sessions moved beyond theory to focus on the practical architecture of national education systems, ensuring that "Fun Learning" is integrated into the very fabric of Rwandan school governance.
Systems Reform and Teacher Development
Key stakeholders explored the critical pillars of education reform, including scalable teacher development models and robust inclusion frameworks. These discussions centered on quality assurance and international cooperation, providing a roadmap for aligning national curriculum standards with the 21st-century skills required for Rwanda’s 2050 Vision.
Scalable Innovation: AI and EdTech
A major highlight of the day was the EdTech and AI Platform Showcase. Through live demonstrations, participants witnessed how digital tools can be used as force-multipliers for teacher empowerment. These sessions highlighted significant opportunities for public-private partnerships, ensuring that innovation remains contextualized, safe, and accessible to every child.
Strategic Partnerships and Global Exchange
The day concluded with intensive networking and partnership-building conversations that solidified the "Fun Learning" ecosystem. International guests and local leaders engaged in curated cultural exchanges across Kigali, fostering the cross-border relationships necessary to sustain a long-term, continental movement in early childhood education
Day 2 Recap: Teachers & Future Educators
Translating Policy into Daily Practice
Day Two was a high-energy transition from theory to the classroom. Educators and pre-service teachers from across Rwanda engaged in masterclasses designed to translate national policy into daily action. Sessions focused on Play-Based Learning, Inclusive Pedagogy, and Positive Discipline, ensuring that every classroom becomes an emotionally safe environment where curiosity thrives.
The Youth Track: Leading the Next Generation
A defining feature of Day Two was the dedicated Youth Track, involving students from Teacher Training Colleges (TTC) and the African Leadership University (ALU). These future educators didn't just observe—they led. By co-authoring the Kigali Youth Declaration, they pledged to champion resilient, community-based learning environments and to act as the primary bridge between traditional pedagogy and modern innovation.
Hands-on Workshop Rounds & Resource Stations
The heart of the day was the Workshop and Resource Station Rotation, where veteran teachers and youth leaders worked side-by-side. These interactive demonstrations provided immediately usable tools, from designing "Learning Trails" in low-resource settings to mastering parent-engagement strategies that extend the Fun Learning approach from the school to the home.
Reflection, Certification, and Commitment
The conference reached its peak as over 200 participants received their certifications, they transitioned from attendees to Ambassadors of the Fun Learning approach.
Speakers & Presenters 2026
Dr. Robert Woodward
Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence and Innvotaive Teaching Faculty Fellow, Texas A&M International University, US
Dr. Sai Väyrynen
Adjunct Professor & Senior Lecturer (Special Needs Education); Global Chair of Educational Exchange, University of Helsinki, Finland
Boaz Ntimugura
Pedagogical Lead, Fun Learning Campus Kigali; School Director, Imanzi School, Rwanda
Mignone Niyoniringye
Fun Learning Mentor, Campus Company, Rwanda
Dr. James O’Meara
Dean; Global Chair of Educational Policy, Texas A & M International, US
Dr. Estefanía Lema-Moreira
Researcher; Expert in Emotional Intelligence & Educational Leadership, Independent, Spain
Dr. Aimable Sibomana Director of Quality Assurance; Head of Quality Assurance, Fun Learning Campus Huye, Catholic University of Rwanda
Ilja Riekki
Education Innovation Specialist, HAUS, Finland
Bonfils Ngabonziza, Artist Educator, Niyo Arts Center/Independent Artist, Rwanda
Dr. Resit Dogan, Founder, Mental Up, CTO Fun Learning Campus Global Faculty, Finland
Evigane Taylore Academic & Education Advocate, African Leadership University (ALU), Rwanda, Gabon
Janet E. Brown, Education Trainer, Founder of TEACH Rwanda, President Emerita
Laura Nevanlinna, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, The Campus Company Finland, Rwanda
Ms. Trang, Fun Learning Trainer, Educator, Tan Thoi Dai, Vietnam
Pinja Tuominen, Researcher, University of Helsinki, Finland
Saara Viteli, Global Master Trainer of Fun Learning; Kindergarten Owner & Principal, Fun Learning / Metsäpirtti Kindergarten, Finland
Sanna Lukander, Founder & Chief Content Officer; Fun Learning Ambassador, The campus Company, Finland, Rwanda
Organising Partners
Sponsors
The Campus Company has received Business Partnership Support by the Foreign Ministry of Finland for its Rwandan Pilot project
Program Collaborators
