Educating in Changing Times:
Reflect, Rethink, Rebuild
4-Week Professional Development Online Course
Starting in January, 2026
The COVID era underlined the fact that it's time for educators to skill up, adapt to a new world and re-imagine a new possibility. With this online professional development course, you’ll leave with fresh ideas, ready to reshape your educator practices, schools, communities and educational systems.
Educating in today's world can be quite overwhelming. “What will be important for your students to know, value and be able to do in a future that’s hard to visualize?” These questions underpin our 4-week journey through this online course for educators, which will bring together educational leaders, pioneers, and practitioners from around the world.
Who should take this course?
Educators at all levels – teachers, university professors, administrators and nonformal educators – as well as anyone who considers themselves to be an ‘innovator’ in the field of education, or wishes to become one – including researchers, policy-makers, administrators and educational project coordinators. All will be encouraged to define their education challenge from their own perspective so as to best benefit from this course.
Who should take this course?
Educators at all levels – teachers, university professors, administrators and nonformal educators – as well as anyone who considers themselves to be an ‘innovator’ in the field of education, or wishes to become one – including researchers, policy-makers, administrators and educational project coordinators. All will be encouraged to define their education challenge from their own perspective so as to best benefit from this course.
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE AND COMPELLING CONTENT
WITH AN AVERAGE OF 4-8 HOURS OF WORK PER WEEK, THIS ONLINE COURSE IS MADE FOR YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE: IT INCLUDES VIDEOS, LIVE WEBINARS, ARTICLES, AND FORUMS FOR DISCUSSIONS.
What to expect: skills and benefits
Flip to circles to find out more!
Deeper Understanding
Deepen your understanding of the challenges facing educators with societal changes, advancing technology and more.
Methodology
Learn design thinking as a methodology, and experience applying it in the field of education.
Critical Thinking
Learn how to think critically about how we communicate, find information, learn, and work in changing times.
Preparation
Become prepared to respond creatively to challenges and opportunities in today’s world.
Certificate
Receive a UPEACE certificate, founded by the United Nations, from the Centre for Executive Education.
Feedback
Receive close communication with your facilitator for crucial, personalized feedback.
Dynamic Learning
Enjoy an engaging, dynamic experience where you’ll connect and learn by doing.
Network
Meet and interact with a tight-knit, international network of alumni.
Preparation
Become prepared to respond creatively to challenges and opportunities in today’s world.
Critical Thinking
Learn how to think critically about how we communicate, find information, learn, and work in changing times.
Methodology
Learn design thinking as a methodology, and experience applying it in the field of education.
Deeper Understanding
Deepen your understanding of the challenges facing educators with societal changes, advancing technology and more.
Certificate
Receive a UPEACE certificate, founded by the United Nations, from the Centre for Executive Education.
Feedback
Receive close communication with your facilitator for crucial, personalized feedback.
Dynamic Learning
Enjoy an engaging, dynamic experience where you’ll connect and learn by doing.
Network
Meet and interact with a tight-knit, international network of alumni.
This course counts as part of the Diploma in Social Innovation or Global Leadership Diploma.
This 4-week online course for educators will help you confront a world that is changing at an increasingly quickening pace, to think critically about the way we communicate, find information, learn, and work in these changing times.
Week 1: Educating in a Fast Changing World
Week 2: Pedagogies for the 21st Century
Week 3: Education for Global Citizenship and Social Justice
Week 4: The Future of Education
This course counts as part of the Diploma in Social Innovation or Global Leadership Diploma.
This 4-week online course for educators will help you confront a world that is changing at an increasingly quickening pace, to think critically about the way we communicate, find information, learn, and work in these changing times.
Week 1: Educating in a Fast Changing World
Week 2: Pedagogies for the 21st Century
Week 3: Education for Global Citizenship and Social Justice
Week 4: The Future of Education
This course allowed opportunities for team building, critical thinking, problem solving, cultural competence, and the practice of authentic leadership skills to define a vision and reach common objectives. I left feeling inspired and more passionate about driving durable changes at the local level and with a global reach!
– Alba Diaz/ University Professor
This was a wonderful opportunity to connect with dynamic individuals from all over the world and brainstorm about ways to improve and reinvent education in the 21st century. I’ve taken away new techniques and ideas that I can implement immediately with my own university students.
– Kristen Palana/ Graphic Designer at UNICEF
Naita Saechao Chialvo
Naita brings an emergent approach to the art of teaching and facilitation, honoring the beginner’s mind with each learning opportunity, community, and course. Equipped with a Master’s in Peace Education from the United Nations established University for Peace (UPEACE) in Costa Rica, Next Economy MBA Certificate, Diploma in Social Innovation from the University for Peace Centre for Executive Education in Costa Rica, professional Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from INSEAD’s Singapore campus, she brings a joy-centered approach to learning and leadership. She also holds a bachelor’s in Economics, minor in Asian American Studies from UCLA, Leadership Certificate from the UCLA Center for Asian American Studies.
She is an experienced global leader at the intersection of education-for-change, youth-for-change, women-led empowerment building, and the community-led development sector, deeply committed to lasting transformative change, and large-scale mobilization initiatives to improve opportunities centering global majority communities and communities at the margins. She meditates on systems and frameworks for expanding education as the equalizer for improving the wellbeing of global communities with a nuanced and curiosity filled approach to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging for social justice worldwide. Her deep lived experiences as a hilltribe refugee from Laos/Thailand, as the daughter of a Mien shaman, and as a global leader with experiences spanning APAC and the Americas region with Rural Education and Development Global (READ Global) and The Asia Foundation, teaching & learning experiences with Stanford d.school’s Design for Extreme Affordability & Stanford Graduate School of Education’s Teacher Education Program, United World College (Thailand), WorldTeach (Republic of the Marshall Islands) and the University for Peace (Costa Rica) helps to bring humility and appreciation for multiple ways of seeing the world we live in, and also a heart-filled vision to transform for possibilities future generations of right living with plants, people and our home planet.
✉️ naita.chialvo@gmail.com
Taylor O’Connor
Taylor is a youth peacebuilding specialist and peace educator passionate about peacebuilding innovation and participatory approaches. Early in his career, he worked with arts-based programming for children and youth, then earned his Bachelor’s in Child Development from San Diego State University in 2005. After completing his Master’s in Peace Education from UPEACE in 2009, he spent nearly a decade living and working with youth peacebuilders and community-based organizations in Myanmar.
Taylor also worked with UNICEF headquarters to develop resources supporting youth peacebuilding initiatives and spent several years facilitating participatory processes to plan programming with and for adolescents and youth in conflict-affected contexts worldwide (one key resource - www.adolescentkit.org). Recommendations from a global evaluation he conducted now form the foundation of UNICEF’s current global youth peacebuilding strategy. When COVID hit, Taylor created virtual trainings and eCourses with UNICEF that have reached participants in 100+ countries.
Taylor is a massive "peace nerd." He is obsessed with peacebuilding strategy and exploring creative ways to build peace. He spent years of his free time researching and mapping global peace initiatives and approaches. Recognizing gaps in global peace systems, he launched a blog called Everyday Peacebuilding in 2020, dedicated to making peacebuilding more accessible and practical for people from all walks of life. There, he creates resources, content, tools, and eCourses for his network of experienced and aspiring peacebuilders from over 100 countries around the globe.
Taylor divides his time between developing his blog, consulting with international agencies, and supporting grassroots peacebuilders. Through his professional work and blog, he seeks to address systemic inequalities, decolonize peacebuilding, and foster grassroots innovation for peace. His goal is to empower people to dismantle systems of oppression, transform the social issues they care about most, and build peace in their communities.
✉️ taylor@everydaypeacebuilding.com
Course Design
The course was created by Mohit Mukherjee, Founding Director of the UPEACE Centre for Executive Education. Mr. Mukherjee has lived and worked in three continents (ten countries) holding leadership roles in the private sector, in nonprofit organizations, and universities. He founded the UPEACE’s Centre for Executive Education in 2006.
Mohit earned his Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University in 1995 and did his Master’s at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2002. He currently resides in Florida.
This is a 4-week online course starting in January, 2026.
$650 tuition rate. A certificate is awarded upon completion by the Centre for Executive Education at the University for Peace, established by the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Enroll with someone else and each will receive a 10% discount.
Have a question? Contact us at centre@upeace.org , or visit our Frequently Asked Questions section.
