WFSF has consistently been a leading player in educating young people in the theories, concepts and methods of futures studies. We have offered Introductory Futures Course and Summer Schools since 1975 in former Yugoslavia and Romania. Through the activities of its office-bearers and members WFSF has been centrally involved in the development of many of the university courses in futures studies around the world. Since 2008 WFSF has been actively developing a Repository of Pedagogical Resources with the support of three UNESCO Participation Program grants (1. 2006-2007; 2. 2012-2013; 3. 2014-2015).
UNESCO Participation Program 2006-2007
The Online Centre for Pedagogical Resources (OCPR) launched in 2008 was hosted independently through the CSU-MERLOT Project. In 2014 we decided to consolidate and move our Online Repository to our new WFSF online website.
UNESCO Participation Program 2012-2013 & 2014-2015
The LEALA: World Futures Learning Lab further developed the quantity and quality of educational resources with the aim of furthering futures education of young people through blending face-to-face courses with online media.
The LEALA Database
The LEALA team gathered the first 120-plus resources from individual WFSF members, including the pilot coordinators in Egypt, Malaysia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from universities that provide futures education and from Stage One of the project. All these resources can be accessed freely, even though not all are strictly Open Educational Resources (OER). These futures education materials can be made available electronically to students, workshop participants and project members, but not all can be modified or shared in print versions. As this blended learning project continues into later phases, materials from other courses will be included. The long-term aim of LEALA is that WFSF members and LEALA participants and facilitators will upload additional materials to enrich the Database. This will increase the capacity of WFSF members to set up live and online teaching occasions globally.The LEALA Database of Pedagogical Resources in Futures Studies provides OPEN access to resources that support futures studies education and futures literacy globally. Resources include: articles, books, course materials, images, videos, PPTs and pedagogical games. The idea is that this database will act as a hub to gather, store and interlink the diversity of futures pedagogical resources being created globally (including school, undergraduate, graduate, professional and lifelong learning) and that it will be used beyond the WFSF membership. The project encourages participation and collaboration from all players in the ongoing establishment and development of the futures field, through furthering open access to leading-edge pedagogical research and practice.