The National Education Summit (NES) has announced a landmark initiative that will position joy as a measurable driver of student learning and educator wellbeing across Australian schools from 2026.
Revealed in Melbourne on 2 December, the initiative is being delivered in partnership with the Global Joy Mission (GJM), founded by Chartered Organisational Psychologist and author Ms Simi Rayat, as part of NES’s expanding wellbeing agenda.
NES Creative Director Ms Margo Metcalf said the focus on joy strengthens the summit’s long-standing commitment to supporting healthier, future-focused schools.
“The mental health and emotional resilience of educators has a direct and measurable impact on student learning,” Ms Metcalf said. “This deepens our wellbeing commitment by giving schools practical, scalable tools to build sustainable, positive school cultures.”
Wellbeing has become a core pillar of the National Education Summit, particularly through its Wellbeing for Future-Focused Schools Conference, which brings together school leaders, wellbeing coordinators, psychologists, counsellors and teachers to explore evidence-based approaches to emotional resilience and mental fitness.
The program is centred on the belief that educator wellbeing is foundational: when teachers feel supported, equipped and energised, classrooms become calmer and more connected, thereby strengthening students’ emotional regulation and readiness to learn.
As part of the 2026 summits in Brisbane and Melbourne, a new science-informed keynote session – The Global Joy Mission: Empowering Educators and Students to Thrive, Not Just Survive – will explore joy not as an end-of-term reward, but as a daily strategy for performance, emotional regulation and resilience.
The session will introduce the 5Qs Formula – a five-minute-a-day mental fitness practice already being adopted in classrooms – to build focus, calm, connection and emotional wellbeing. Schools will also be invited to join a national pilot program embedding the approach into daily routines.
“You’ll walk away inspired, equipped and ready to create a culture of calm, confidence and connection in your school community,” Ms Rayat said.
NES said its new direction is designed to shift wellbeing from discussion to measurable action.
“This turns educator wellbeing from a conversation into a practice that can be measured, shared and scaled,” Ms Metcalf said. “We’re helping schools create the conditions where teachers and students can truly thrive.”
Ms Rayat said the focus on daily, science-backed practices comes at a crucial time for educators.
“When teachers thrive, students flourish,” she said. “This work brings practical tools to the people shaping the future every day – our educators and the young minds they inspire.”
With increasing national attention on teacher wellbeing and growing evidence linking educator energy to student engagement and learning outcomes, NES says embedding joy as a daily practice offers a timely, actionable approach.
The 2026 National Education Summit is taking place in Brisbane (14–15 May) and Melbourne (3–4 September).
