The “Towards the School of the Future” project, funded by the French Embassy in Lebanon and developed in partnership with the Ministry of Education, CERD, and ESA Business School, was implemented by SmartESA with the support of Nafda’s expertise. Its primary objective was to support 20 schools in their transition toward the School of the Future by guiding them to imagine and articulate their own vision of the School of the Future.

To achieve this goal, Ed’Innov introduced a structured methodology built around five phases, deployed throughout 2025 and early 2026:

Phase 1 : Preparation (January 2025)

This phase included field visits to the 20 participating schools. The purpose of these visits was to prepare institutions for the various stages of the project, establish the methodological framework, and foster an initial momentum of engagement.

Phase 2 : Exploratory Phase (February – March 2025)

Seven seminars were organized at ESA Business School. This phase aimed to enrich schools’ reflections through expert talks and roundtable discussions on educational innovation, while also encouraging dialogue between schools and the broader innovation ecosystem, including entrepreneurs, researchers, and institutional stakeholders.

Phase 3 : Building the School of the Future Vision (April – September 2025)

Schools conducted vision workshops with their educational communities to identify the needs and expectations of key stakeholders (students, teachers, parents, and executive management). Based on these insights, each institution developed its own School of the Future vision, including a concrete project, a strategic roadmap, an action plan, and a dedicated budget.

At the end of this phase, schools prepared and delivered project pitches during the School of the Future Summit, held on October 10, 2025, in front of an evaluation committee.

Phase 4 : Funding (October 2025 – Present)

Schools are currently engaged in fundraising efforts to secure financing for their projects. At the same time, connections are being established with potential funders including international donors, foundations, and private sector partners to mobilize the resources required to bring all projects to life.

Phase 5 : Implementation (Starting March 2026)

Beginning in March 2026, this phase is dedicated to project implementation. It is grounded in a co-creation approach between schools and key actors within the innovation ecosystem, with the goal of fostering concrete, long-term collaborations around the developed initiatives.

This structured approach has enabled the project’s pilot schools to imagine and develop their own visions of the School of the Future. Today, institutions are actively pursuing funding opportunities to launch project implementation starting in March.