“The innovations featured in the HundrED Global Collection 2026 are not only impactful and scalable, they also embody resilience, and adaptability,” explains Lasse Leponiemi, CEO of HundrED. Every year, HundrED selects 100 of the most impactful and scalable education innovations that are shaping the global education ecosystem. The work of selecting these innovations gives us insight into how educators and innovators are responding to shifting global priorities.
Learn more and download the Global Collection 2026 Report.
The most prominent theme in this year’s collection is unanimously education equity and access. Amidst the continuation of conflict-driven and climate-related crises disrupting education, it brings us hope that almost 20% of education innovations in this collection focus on ensuring that all learners can participate in quality education.
“The innovations featured in the HundrED Global Collection 2026 are not only impactful and scalable, they also embody resilience, and adaptability"
Wellbeing, sustainability, and STEM education were also notable themes - many innovations focused on addressing mental health, resilience, holistic development, and equipping children with skills, knowledge, and awareness needed to respond to long-term challenges. We are optimistic that innovators are working tirelessly to ensure that students are equipped to face uncertainties of the future while maintaining wellbeing.
Key focus areas of the Global Collection 2026
Although artificial intelligence (AI) is a major theme in global education debates, it did not emerge as a prominent tool used in innovations in this collection. This could indicate that AI is still at an exploratory stage rather than a widely embedded practice. On the other hand, it could signal that innovators are prioritising accessible, proven tools and human relationships.
About the Global Collection 2026
This year’s Global Collection 2026 features 100 innovations from 52 different countries, reaching a total of 63 million children altogether.
From our global call for innovations, we received 789 submissions, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of 149. These innovations were reviewed by 242 academy members, totalling 3360 reviews to select the final 100. From the 100 selected innovations, 23 are reselected and 77 are new.
Future Directions
As we look beyond the 2026 Collection, we hope to see more innovative solutions addressing the following areas:
- Teacher wellbeing and retention - more innovative solutions are needed to support teacher professional development and wellbeing in order to meet global demands for teachers. We hope to see solutions that can support a sustainable teaching profession.
- Education in emergencies - education systems need to be designed to ensure continuity of learning even in the most unstable conditions. We anticipate seeing more solutions that can reach displaced learners, use trauma-informed approaches, and that integrate crisis response into mainstream education planning.
- Equitable and responsible use of AI - With the surge of AI, we expect that next year will bring innovative solutions that use AI in ways that are accessible, fair, and anchored in ethical principles. Ideally, this technology will evolve in a way that becomes a driver for inclusion rather than exclusion.
Learn more about these innovations by downloading the Global Collection 2026 report.
