PBL Around the World

Part 1. Why Look Globally?

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness…”
— Mark Twain

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is not an American invention. It’s a global movement. Around the world, teachers and students are exploring the power of real inquiry, collaborative problem-solving, and meaningful work. But too often, we view education through the narrow lens of our own systems and traditions. What happens when we lift our eyes and look outward?

This new series, PBL Around the World, invites educators, especially those in the U.S., to explore how other nations and regions have embraced PBL as part of a broader commitment to preparing young people for the complex, interconnected world they’re inheriting.

Why Go Global?

PBL is not just a teaching method. It is a reflection of deeper beliefs about learning, motivation, and purpose. Around the globe, forward-thinking educators are:

· Designing learning experiences that cross subject boundaries

· Encouraging students to investigate, create, and take ownership

· Reimagining assessment as authentic demonstrations of understanding

· Integrating civic responsibility, environmental sustainability, and global competence

When we examine international PBL models, we don’t just encounter new techniques. We discover alternative mindsets and systems that support them.

Common Goals, Diverse Paths

While contexts vary dramatically, educators in Finland, Singapore, the Netherlands, Chile, and beyond are all navigating similar goals:
How do we teach students to think critically, collaborate effectively, and contribute meaningfully to society?
Each country we’ll profile in this series answers that question in its own way, shaped by cultural values, national priorities, and unique education systems.

You’ll read about:

· Phenomenon-based learning in Finland

· Strategic curriculum design in Singapore

· Student-centered creativity in the Netherlands

· Cross-border cooperation in the European Union

· Rural innovation in Australia and New Zealand

· Social justice applications of PBL in Latin America

· Grassroots PBL networks across the U.S. and Canada

Along the way, we’ll highlight models that work, policy shifts that matter, and compelling stories of teachers and students doing extraordinary work, often under ordinary circumstances.

What We Hope to Gain

Educators in the U.S. may find inspiration and a challenge in how other countries support PBL. In some cases, these nations have restructured entire curricula around key competencies, integrated project work across multiple grade levels, or launched international collaborations through programs like Erasmus+.

We’ll also explore how the European Framework for Key Competences for Lifelong Learning and the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) are laying the groundwork for cross-national sharing of educational content and formats, an area where PBL naturally thrives.

By seeing how others make PBL work, we can reflect more deeply on our own classrooms, our school systems, and our hopes for young learners. We may even discover new global partners along the way.

Up next: Finland – Student Autonomy and Teacher Trust