About us
We are a non-profit organization with a team of experts that strives to modernize Czech education. We have developed and tested programs for teachers and headteachers that significantly improve children's learning in schools. With our know-how, we strive to enrich and transform the public education system to fulfill our vision: All children learn fully, with joy and equal opportunities, and leave school ready for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
As our schools are,
so our society shall be.
The Czech school system, however, does not look after its teachers and headteachers, and that is worrying for all of us.
16%
Only one in six teachers feels that society appreciates their work.
18%
Only one in five headteachers actively collaborates with another headteacher. That proportion is the lowest across the EU.
6 000
teachers are currently missing from the system.
50%
Every second teacher is at direct risk of burnout syndrome.
39%
2 in 5 advertised headteacher vacancies receive only one applicant.
0
mandatory program for headteachers truly tackles how to lead people or how to improve children’s learning.
13×
In the past 15 years, the Minister of Education has changed 13 times and schools lack any coherent change-implementation systems.
10%
The share of practical teaching experience in qualification courses is minimal, leaving teachers ill‑prepared for work in modern schools (where leading international training programs include 20–40% practice)).
By 2030 we want to have a substantial positive impact on the work of 20 000 teachers and 1 000 headteachers.
If we manage to influence 20% of the system, that critical mass would ensure that the innovation spread further spontaneously. That means we need to influence 20 000 teachers and 1 000 headteachers.
High-quality education is the main precondition for future economic and social growth in any country. Teaching quality plays a key role in that. If The Czech Republic started investing in teaching quality, it could surpass the economic level of western Europe within two generations, For Czech citizens that would mean substantially higher real pay, higher quality public services, and a substantially higher quality of life. A study by the IDEA think-tank at the Czech Academy of Sciences' Economics Institute has shown that the cumulative contribution of improved teacher quality to GDP would reach a monumental 54 billion CZK by the year 2100.
Teachers and headteachers hold the keys to change.
Teachers are role models.
Over the course of their careers, a teacher will influence hundreds or thousands of children and young people while a headteacher will influence tens or hundreds of teachers.
Teachers establish the classroom environment, assess learning outcomes and motivate children to learn and to work together.
Headteachers establish the school’s culture and vision and create the conditions necessary for teachers’ growth.
Global studies have shown that where educational improvement is concerned, changes in legislation, technology or curricula alone have far less of an impact than direct work with teachers and headteachers.
They told us “that won’t work”. For years, we have been demonstrating that change is possible. And we are not going to give up.
What are we building on?
We have a strong professional organization
From the original initiative within the Depositum Bonum Foundation, we have built an organization with a strong staff and expert background. We were founded in 2016 and today we have around 50 employees, supported by many donors and education experts. In the field of Czech education, we are one of the fastest growing and most agile organizations.
We have created and validated a unique program for future teachers
In collaboration with experts and experienced teachers, we created Teach Live course as a model of good practice in teacher training. We build up a professional community of at least 200 Teach Live graduates, students and accompanying teachers.
We work on pedagogical leadership development of headteachers
We have created the Lead Live program, which focuses on the ability of headteachers to support teachers in improving their teaching (pedagogical leadership).
The benefits of our programs are data driven
We carefully measure and evaluate the impacts of both of our programs. Therefore, we are not afraid to say that we have created very functional educational models. The results of the graduates are well above the Czech standard and in some respects comparable to the world's best education systems.
Teach Live
unique vocational training
What is Teach Live?
- A two-year programme for teachers who intend to teach in
mainstream schools but lack formal teaching qualification. - Accredited as Supplementary Teacher Training.
- Students gain confidence to teach even in challenging
circumstances
What makes the course exceptional?
- Focus on mainstream, state schools: Students are placed in
non-selective schools where at least 15% of pupils come from
socially disadvantaged backgrounds. Supported by carefully
selected mentor teachers, our students gain tools to succeed
even in classrooms where teaching is challenging due to pupil
behavior. - Emphasis on teacher self-concept and professional
development.
Mentoring support for both mentor teachers and students in
the programme. - Outstanding educators: Our teaching staff includes finalists of
the Global Teacher Prize and experts who collaborate with the
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. - Commitment to collaboration and wellbeing: Each student is
supported by a student care team and continuous support from
six professional roles: university tutor, mentor teacher, expert
teacher who carries out lesson observations, mentor, subject
lecturer, and peer student. - Professional community: Upon completing the programme,
students join a network of enthusiastic colleagues who share
their experience and continue to grow together.
Lead Live
leadership for school leaders
What is Lead Live?
- A two-year innovative development program for school leadership.
What makes the course exceptional?
- The course design is inspired by international know-how and was consulted with the NYC Leadership Academy, NYC Dept. of Education, Bank Street College of Education and the Wallace Foundation.
- The program is delivered by successful school leaders and top experts in education, ensuring that theory is always grounded in lived practice.
- Pairs of school leadership staff participate in the course together, which increases the impact it has on children's learning and ensures future leaders are well-prepared.
- Unlike conventional management courses, Lead Live places children’s learning and well‑being at the very heart of leadership development. Headteachers and deputy heads learn not only how to manage schools, but how to inspire teachers, build learning communities, and ensure every child thrives with joy and purpose
- Participants join a trusted network of peers, where sharing challenges and successes becomes a source of growth. This community culture turns experience into inspiration and collaboration into long‑term professional bonds. Leaders discover they are not alone in their struggles — and that collective wisdom accelerates change
Leaders for Leaders
regional education leadership
What is Leader for Leaders?
- An educational program for headteachers, their deputies, and other stakeholders in education who seek to strengthen and advance school leadership across regions.
What makes the course exceptional?
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We cultivate pedagogical leadership in schools, placing the head teacher’s foremost responsibility on leading learning.
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Our work contributes to systemic strategies for school leadership and aligns with the goals of the Vision for Supporting School Leadership, Strategy 2030+ and the Ministry of Education.
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Across Czech regions, we foster learning communities, encouraging headteachers and deputies to meet and focus on high-quality learning.
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We train facilitation, mentoring and guiding skills. Each participant completes a regional leadership activity and receives support to plan, deliver and reflect on it effectively.
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For experienced school leaders, we offer pathways for further career growth. The expertise gained becomes a springboard for roles extending beyond principal or deputy positions.
The program is carried out in partnership with JOB - an association dedicated to innovation.