The Europass Foundation is a non-profit organisation established in 2026 to give institutional form to over thirty years of experience in educator professional development.
What began in 1992 as the Europass Italian Language School in Florence, and expanded from the 2010s with Europass Teacher Academy, has become a European network of training centres in more than twenty countries, welcoming thousands of educators every year through Erasmus+.
The Foundation works alongside the operational organisations of the Europass Network, with a distinct remit and a non-profit purpose.
Vision
Through education, the most powerful force for individual growth and social change, we stand for a world that is more just, more open, and more human.
Mission
The Europass Foundation promotes educators’ professional development, research, and collaborative initiatives to improve education systems across Europe and the World.
Values
Democracy and inclusion: Education must reflect and reinforce the democratic values that underpin an open society. Every learner, every educator, every school deserves an equal voice.
The centrality of the educator: Educators are the true architects of educational success. We place their professional growth at the heart of everything we do, while actively promoting and advocating for the recognition of their role in society.
Critical thinking: In a world of rapid information flow and technological disruption, nurturing independent thought is essential.
Innovation in service of people: Technological progress, including artificial intelligence, is a tool designed to enhance human learning, but it cannot replace the educational value of the teacher-student relationship.
Cultural roots and exchange: Knowing and valuing one’s cultural heritage is the foundation for genuine dialogue with others. Sharing knowledge, practices, and perspectives across borders makes every school system, and every society, stronger.
Wellbeing: A thriving education system depends on educators who are supported, respected, and enabled to work in sustainable conditions. These are essential preconditions for quality education.
What the Foundation Does
Quality Standards
The Europass Foundation accredits and certifies all local academies within the Teacher Academy network. Every Academy is required to meet strict quality requirements, follow shared procedures, and employ trainers trained and certified by the Foundation itself.
Beyond quality assurance, the Foundation takes on a broader programme of activities in service of the wider education community.
Festivals
Every year, in selected cities across Europe, the Foundation will bring together educators, researchers, and institutions around themes that matter for the future of education.
Each festival is an opportunity for exchange, dissemination, and collaboration, open to participants in our Erasmus+ courses and to the local education community.
Confirmed festivals:
- AI in Education — Dublin
- Cultural Heritage in Education — Florence
- Digital Transformation in Schools — Split
Observatory
Ongoing studies on the state of education across Europe — surveying educators, analysing trends, and publishing findings to inform policy and practice.
School Hackathon
Open competitions for schools across Europe to design projects that combine learning, creativity, and new technologies.
EU Projects
Participation in European calls and partnerships to advance research and innovation in education.
The road to the Foundation
| 1992 |
The beginning Europass Italian Language School was founded in Florence — the seed of what would become a broader commitment to quality education and international cooperation. |
| 2006 |
A commitment to professional development Recognised as an official vocational training center by the Italian Ministry of Education, we deepened our focus on professional development for educators — laying the groundwork for the quality standards we uphold today. |
| 2008 |
Roots in European cooperation Our first international partnerships with European organisations shaped a collaborative vision for education — one that continues to define the Foundation’s approach to this day. |
| 2010 |
Europass Teacher Academy is born The first Erasmus+ training course for teachers was held in Florence, marking the birth of Europass Teacher Academy and the beginning of a Europe-wide mission to raise the quality of teacher training. |
| 2016 |
Expanding across Europe Training courses reached Barcelona, marking the first step towards a distributed, multi-country model — a precursor to the accreditation network the Foundation now oversees. |
| 2017 |
A growing network of Academies New Academies opened in Berlin, Dublin, and Athens. The need for a shared governance and quality framework was becoming clear. |
| 2020 |
Education without borders The launch of Online Teacher Academy extended access to high-quality teacher training beyond physical locations — reinforcing our belief that quality education should be available to everyone, everywhere. |
| 2022 |
Formalising quality standards The publication of Guidelines4training established a shared framework of quality benchmarks for all our Academies — a foundational step towards the accreditation model the Foundation now operates. |
| 2024 |
Tools for European collaboration The Europass Project Platform was launched — an open-source tool to connect organisations and simplify the development of international cooperation partnerships. |
| 2026 |
Europass Foundation ETS Europass becomes a non-profit foundation. The Europass Foundation certifies and accredits local organisations to deliver Europass Teacher Academy courses, ensuring every provider meets our quality standards and operates within the regulatory framework required by the Erasmus+ programme. This reflects our ongoing commitment to excellence in teachers’ continuing education. |
Deed of Establishment and Articles of Association
Governing bodies
- Ambra Falabella – Vice President
- Andrea Merlo – Treasurer
- David Baroni – President
- Fabio Cambi – Head of the Supervisory Body