NEEDS Schools Conference 2026

The 2nd NEEDS Schools Conference 2026 brings together students, teachers, researchers, and stakeholders in education to celebrate and reflect on the second year of the Negotiating the Essentials for Education in Democratic Societies (NEEDS) research project. Celebrate the authentic experiences and learning of students engaging in the NEEDS Negotiated Learning Junior Cycle Short Course through interactive workshops, panel discussions, poster exhibitions, presentations, videos and more.

This collaborative conference will showcase how the students and teachers across our 3 NEEDS schools have engaged with Negotiated Integrated Curriculum (NIC), a curriculum design process which explicitly places student voice at the centre of curriculum-making, empowering students to shape what, how, and why they learn. Building on their first year where students co-designed learning with their teachers, students have deepened their understanding of their areas of inquiry and further developed how they learn, collaborate, and apply their knowledge in meaningful ways. Under this year’s theme “Deepening our understanding, applying our knowledge & creating meaningful learning experiences” the conference will showcase the evolving learning journeys of students and teachers through interactive workshops, presentations, exhibitions, digital media, and more. Students will demonstrate how their thinking has developed, how they are applying their learning in new contexts, and how they are working together in increasingly sophisticated and creative ways.

Through the experiences of students and teachers, the conference will explore the transformative potential of co-constructing curriculum grounded in students’ lived experiences, personal and global concerns, and democratic values. Early insights from the study will also be presented, with space for critical discussion around how schools can create the conditions for authentic student voice, agency, and Global Citizenship Education. NEEDS continues to place student voice at the centre of curriculum-making, supporting learners to take greater ownership, responsibility, and creativity in shaping their educational experiences.

This conference is an opportunity to hear directly from students and teachers as they share their experiences of designing and enacting meaningful learning together as co-inquirers, reimagining curriculum for democratic education and education through democracy. Join us as we share the successes, challenges, and how schools are creatively addressing them in NEEDS.