APEC Project Database

Project Title

ALCoB Program for Educator’s eXchange (APEX)

Project Year

2025

Project Number

HRDWG_103_2025A

Project Session

Session 1

Project Type

Standard

Project Status

Project in Implementation

Project No.

HRDWG_103_2025A

Project Title

ALCoB Program for Educator’s eXchange (APEX)

Project Status

Project in Implementation

Fund Account

APEC Support Fund

Sub-fund

ASF: General Fund

Project Year

2025

Project Session

Session 1

APEC Funding

68,189

Co-funding Amount

40,000

Total Project Value

108,189

Sponsoring Forum

Human Resource Development Working Group (HRDWG)

Topics

Human Resources Development; Digital Technology and Innovation; Education

Committee

SOM Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (SCE)

Other Fora Involved

Other Non-APEC Stakeholders Involved

Proposing Economy(ies)

Korea

Co-Sponsoring Economies

Indonesia; Malaysia; Peru; Philippines; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand

Expected Start Date

01/01/2026

Expected Completion Date

31/12/2026

Project Proponent Name 1

Hyeonjeong Lee

Job Title 1

Project Specialist

Organization 1

Institute of APEC Collaboration Education (IACE)

Telephone 1

+82 053-719-2947

Email 1

lnlh1229@iace.re.kr

Project Proponent Name 2

Sueyoon Lee

Job Title 2

Senior Program Specialist

Organization 2

Institute of APEC Collaboration Education (IACE)

Telephone 2

Not Applicable

Email 2

sue314@iace.re.kr

Declaration

Hyeonjeong Lee

Project Summary

The ALCoB (APEC Learning Community Builders) Program for Educators’ eXchange (APEX) is a capacity-building project aimed at enhancing digital competencies among educators in APEC economies. By bridging the digital divide and fostering global teacher exchange, APEX aligns with APEC’s vision of inclusive and sustainable education development for shared prosperity.

The project will bring together Korean teachers as trainers and APEC member economy teachers as participants (trainees) for an immersive training and exchange experience at the Jeju Learncation Center. Over two days, participants will engage in interactive digital competency training, global collaboration, and hands-on cultural experiences. The project will culminate in the development of global exchange plans, fostering long-term cooperation between schools across the region. Upon returning to their home economies, participating teachers will conduct local dissemination training, ensuring the project’s impact extends beyond the event itself.

Relevance

Region

Despite advancements in digital education, disparities remain in teacher training, access to ICT resources, and cross-border collaboration among APEC economies. Many educators lack opportunities to build digital competencies tailored to their local contexts and to collaborate with global peers. Addressing these gaps is essential for promoting equitable, high-quality education and shared prosperity across the region. APEX responds to this challenge by providing targeted digital education training for educators from APEC economies. The project facilitates peer-to-peer knowledge exchange through interactive and collaborative activities while encouraging global school partnerships that enable sustained cross-cultural engagement and professional development. By equipping teachers with practical skills and fostering long-term global collaboration, APEX contributes to narrowing the digital divide and strengthening global education networks.

Eligibility and Fund Priorities

The APEX project is designed to engage educators from APEC member economies, with a particular focus on travel-eligible economies. 11 travel-eligible economies can nominate two participants, while non-travel-eligible economies are also invited to participate. The project targets educators who will benefit most from digital education training and global collaboration, ensuring that the most in-need regions are prioritized. The project aims to support initiatives that address the digital divide and foster inclusive educational development. Fund allocation is intended to promote capacity-building efforts that enable teachers to better integrate ICT into their teaching practices and encourage cross-border exchanges among educators. The funding will also support the development of sustainable and scalable educational programs that can continue beyond the project duration. Emphasis will be placed on initiatives that create long-term educational impact, encourage cultural exchange, and support inter-regional collaboration to enhance the overall educational experience across the APEC region.

Capacity Building

APEX is to enhance the digital education competencies of teachers across the APEC region by providing a structured platform for knowledge-sharing, skills development, and collaboration. The project focuses on capacity building through a train-the-trainer model, where Korean teachers serve as trainers, equipping educators from APEC economies with practical skills and teaching methodologies that integrate ICT into the classroom. By engaging participants in interactive and collaborative discussions and hands-on activities, the project fosters a learner-centered approach, ensuring that teachers can adapt and apply new strategies in their local contexts. Furthermore, the initiative extends beyond the immediate training by encouraging participating teachers to conduct follow-up dissemination training in their home economies, thereby multiplying its impact and strengthening the overall education ecosystem within APEC.

Objectives

The ALCoB Program for Educators’ eXchange (APEX) aims to strengthen educators' capacity and promote global collaboration by integrating ICT into school curricula. The project seeks to enhance digital education competencies by training teachers from the member economies in ICT integration through hands-on training while developing customized teaching materials and best practices for effective classroom implementation. It facilitates knowledge-sharing and peer collaboration by providing Korean teachers with opportunities to serve as trainers, enhancing their instructional skills, and enabling APEC teachers to share insights and adapt digital education practices to their local contexts.

The project fosters long-term global collaboration by conducting a Global Exchange session, where participants plan school exchange activities and establish ongoing teacher networks to promote sustained exchange and cooperative learning. To ensure sustainable impact, APEX supports participating teachers in conducting follow-up training in their home economies and encourages continued engagement between Korean and APEC educators to facilitate school partnerships and cultural exchange projects. Through these objectives, APEX contributes to teacher capacity-building, cross-border collaboration, and the advancement of digital education in the APEC region, reinforcing APEC’s commitment to shared prosperity and sustainable growth.

Alignment

Beneficiaries and Outputs

Output

1) Training

A 2-day workshop for capacity building of teachers within APEC region will be held on October at Seoul, 2026. This workshop will include the pre- training(seperate online one hour session, pre-training survey), key note session overarching theme of the project, EDTECH training sessions, small group discussion, group presentation, curriculum development, and post- training(post-training survey).

lease find the detail schedules of each day as below. [Online Pre-Training_1 hour]

00:00–00:05 Program Briefing

00:05–00:20 Trainer Introduction and Overview of the Program Curriculum

00:20–00:35 Lecture on Key Competencies to Be Developed During the Program

00:35–00:50 Trainee–Trainer Expectation Setting and Q&A Session 00:50–01:00 Completion of Pre-Training and Satisfaction Surveys

[Day 1 – Foundations, ICT/AI Training, and Drafting] 09:30–10:00 Registration

10:00–10:30 Opening Ceremony (Opening Remarks, Exchange of Tokens of Appreciation, Group Photo)

10:30–11:10 Keynote Sessions by Policymakers (ROK & Participating Economies)

11:10–12:00 Thematic Sessions from Alumni Teachers (ICT/AI Curriculum Innovations from 2–3 Economies)

12:00–13:00 Luncheon

13:00–14:00 ICT Training Session 1 (AI Coding Tools for Classroom Application)

14:00–15:00 ICT Training Session 2 (EdTech Platforms Hands-On) 15:00–15:30 Break & Informal Networking

15:30–16:30 Small-Group Discussion 1 (Economy Teams Draft Dissemination/Activity Curriculum with Policymakers & Teachers) 16:30–17:00 Interim Sharing & Peer Commentary (Two Tracks: Policymakers / Teachers)

[Day 2 – Advanced Training, Curriculum Refinement, and Closing] 09:30–10:00 Registration

10:00–11:00 ICT Training Session 3 (AI-Supported Assessment and Feedback Tools)

11:00–12:00 Curriculum Revision Workshop 2 (Economy Groups Refine Dissemination Plan Based on Focus-Group Feedback)

12:00–13:00 Luncheon

13:00–14:30 Focus Group Interview with Trainee Teachers (Elementary & Junior Levels – Pilot Lesson Modules and Activities)

14:30–15:30 Cross-Economy Roundtable (Scaling ICT Curriculum Region- Wide)

15:30–16:30 Presentation of Finalized Curriculum Frameworks (Each Economy Showcase and Feedback)

16:30–17:00 Closing Ceremony (Remarks, Certificate Presentation, Group Photo)

2) Summary Report

Upon completion of the project, a comprehensive APEC Project Summary Report—comprising an executive summary, introduction, key findings, data analysis, and insights—will be submitted, with a minimum length of 20 pages, excluding annexes.

Outcome

1) Build the practical ICT competencies of participating educators while fostering a sense of shared purpose and connection across the APEC region. By equipping teachers with innovative teaching methods, digital tools, and collaborative planning skills, the project will contribute to the transformation of classroom practices and help bridge the digital divide in education.

2) Increased dissemination and application of acquired knowledge and strategies among fellow educators in participants’ schools or local communities, thereby expanding the reach and sustainability of the project’s impact and indirectly benefiting additional teachers and students.

Beneficiaries

The primary beneficiaries of APEX are teachers from APEC member economies, from the elementary to secondary school level, who are interested in building capacity in ICT curriculum development and will receive direct training in digital education.

Leading teachers, serving as trainers, will also benefit by enhancing their instructional skills and expanding their perspectives through cross-cultural teaching experiences. Beyond the immediate participants, students, colleagues, and community in participating teachers’ home economies will gain from improved classroom instruction and enriched learning experiences incorporating digital tools and global perspectives.

Additionally, school administrators and policymakers will benefit from the insights shared during the project. After participants submit their dissemination reports, the APEX Secretariat will compile and share these reports with relevant administrators and policymakers. The collected reports will consolidate the program’s outcomes and reflections, serving as valuable input for formulating new education policies and strategies related to ICT integration and global collaboration in schools.

Dissemination

Following the training, each trainee will independently conduct a dissemination activity in their school or community. These sessions may take the form of in-service training or integration of learned practices into school-based innovation projects. The contents of the dissemination will focus on the digital teaching techniques, collaborative tools, and global exchange concepts introduced during APEX.

Trainees will be provided with guidelines and templates to help structure their dissemination activities, and they will be encouraged to report back on their activities through a dissemination report. This localized sharing of knowledge will support peer learning and ensure the project's relevance continues at the grassroots level, while also contributing to the broader goal of strengthening digital education capacity across the APEC region.

Gender

Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Documents folder.

Work Plan

Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Documents folder.

Risks

Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Documents folder.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Documents folder.

Linkages

APEX is closely aligned with APEC’s broader education and capacity-building initiatives, particularly those under the Human Resources Development Working Group (HRDWG). Collaboration with APEC member economies ensures that the project remains responsive to the diverse needs of participating teachers, fostering a cooperative approach to education development. In addition to APEC, APEX will seek to strengthen connections with global organizations such as UNESCO, OECD, and SEAMEO, leveraging their expertise and networks to expand the reach and impact of the project. By aligning with these international bodies, APEX can further contribute to global education goals, promote best practices in digital education, and enhance cross-regional collaboration. This consolidation of the global education network within APEC will serve as a foundation for future cooperation and shared initiatives with non- APEC stakeholders, helping to extend the benefits of the project beyond the APEC region.

Sustainability

The sustainability of the APEX project is ensured through a structured dissemination strategy and visibility effort beyond the immediate participants. After the training, each participating teacher will carry out local dissemination activities, sharing the knowledge, skills, and teaching practices acquired during the project. These efforts will multiply the project's impact, reaching a broader community of educators and students in each economy.

Furthermore, the APEC Project Completion Report, along with training materials and outcomes, will be shared through the APEC Secretariat. This will ensure that not only participating economies but also other member economies that were not directly involved in the event can learn from the outcomes and consider participating in or adopting similar initiatives in the future. Apex promotes long-term sustainability and relevance across the APEC region.

Direct Labour

Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Documents folder.

Are there any supporting document attached?

Yes

Project No.
Project Title
Project Status
Fund Account
Sub-fund
Project Year
Project Session
APEC Funding
Co-funding Amount
Total Project Value
Sponsoring Forum
Topics
Committee
Other Fora Involved
Other Non-APEC Stakeholders Involved
Proposing Economy(ies)
Co-Sponsoring Economies
Expected Start Date
Expected Completion Date
Project Proponent Name 1
Job Title 1
Organization 1
Telephone 1
Email 1
Project Proponent Name 2
Job Title 2
Organization 2
Telephone 2
Email 2
Declaration
Project Summary
Relevance
Objectives
Alignment
Beneficiaries and Outputs
Dissemination
Gender
Work Plan
Risks
Monitoring and Evaluation
Linkages
Sustainability
Direct Labour
Are there any supporting document attached?
hdFldAdmin
Project Number
Previous Fora
Secretariat Comments
Reprogramming Notes
Consolidated QAF
Endorsement By Fora
PD Sign Off
Batch
Forum Priority
Committee Ranking Category
Committee Priority
PDM Priority
Priority Within Funding Category
Monitoring Report Received
Completion Report Received
PMU Field 1
PMU Field 2
PMU Field 3
On Behalf Of
Proposal Status
Originating Sub-Forum
Approval Status
Attachments

Content Type: Standard Proposal