Empowering teachers in the digital age: UNICEF and Finn Church Aid join forces through the Superstar Teachers Toolbox
At Finland’s largest education and training event, Educa, UNICEF and Finn Church Aid, through its Teachers Without Borders network, announced a new two-year partnership under a Memorandum of Understanding, reaffirming their shared commitment to empowering teachers in the digital age.
Helsinki, 26 January 2026 – Across the globe, educators are scrambling to integrate digital technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other innovative approaches into education systems and lesson plans.
The new partnership announced this weekend brings together UNICEF and Finn Church Aid-Teachers Without Border’s global leadership and deep understanding in education systems strengthening, learning innovation, teacher professional development and education in fragile and crisis-affected contexts.
Under the agreement, the organizations will jointly strengthen teacher capacity on digital pedagogies, inclusive education in digital learning, AI, and other innovative approaches. Teacher empowerment and upskilling is a key priority of UNICEF’s Digital Education Strategy 2025-2030.
“Effective digital integration goes far beyond technology, it’s about activating and training teachers, personalizing learning, and developing locally driven approaches that integrate AI and new technologies into education systems. It’s about putting children first in everything we do,” said UNICEF’s Head of the Global Learning Innovation Hub, Frank van Cappelle. “Through our continued collaboration with Finn Church Aid and Teachers Without Borders, we are empowering our superstar teachers to reach every child, everywhere, with the safety, power and opportunity of a quality education.”
Innovative tools for superstar teachers
A central pillar of the collaboration is UNICEF’s Superstar Teachers Toolbox, which provides educators with practical resources to incorporate technology effectively into their daily teaching practices, from lesson planning with AI to adapting new technologies to reach children living on the frontlines of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises with the lifeline of a quality education. The toolbox has also been adapted into self-learning online courses that can easily be contextualized and added to national teacher platforms, enabling teachers to access contents flexibly and at scale.
The Toolbox is continuously being refined and updated as it is shared with educators worldwide. In Kenya and Uganda for example, UNICEF is collaborating with Finn Church Aid through its Teachers Without Borders’ education expert network to train teachers working in refugee settlements to turn smartphones into teaching tools and develop learner-centric approaches for overcrowded, under-resourced classrooms.
The Toolbox is delivered through UNICEF’s Global Learning Innovation Hub. With core funding from the Government of Finland, the Hub is scaling-up digital, AI and EdTech solutions in coordination with governments, teachers, students, communities, the private sector and other key partners.
“Digital technologies have the power to transform the way we deliver education, especially for children living on the frontlines of armed conflict, forced displacement, climate change and other protracted crises,” said Ikali Karvinen, Deputy Executive Director, Finn Church Aid.
“Through this continued collaboration with UNICEF, we are dedicated to ensuring teachers have the tools and technologies they need to succeed in their invaluable professions as we come together to deliver on the promise of education for all, as outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
