What a remarkable day in sunny Düsseldorf! As President of Educom+, I had the privilege of participating in the FOOTT PRINTTS Stakeholder Event and I can confidently say the sunshine outside matched the bright prospects we discussed for in-service teacher training across Europe.

The FOOTT PRINTTS project brings together seven European educational institutions in an ambitious mission: to establish a common framework for in-service teacher training that ensures quality and consistency across our continent. This isn’t just another educational initiative—it’s a practical, actionable response to one of the most pressing needs in European education today.

Why does this matter?
Teachers are the backbone of our educational systems, yet their continuous professional development often lacks the structure and quality standards it deserves. While many countries have made great strides in initial teacher education, in-service training remains fragmented across Europe, with each country, region, or even institution operating in isolation. The FOOTT PRINTTS framework changes this by providing teacher trainers and policymakers with concrete tools and best practices to enhance the quality of professional development programs.

Key takeaways from the event:
The day was expertly structured to move from vision to action. Eric Richter’s keynote on “Enhancing Quality in In-Service Teacher Training” set the stage, followed by Christian Rudloff’s presentation on the framework methodology. The highlight was the 90-minute workshop “Thinking Forward: A Multi-Perspective Workshop on the FOOTT PRINTTS Framework,” which brought diverse voices together to explore practical implementation strategies.

The panel discussion “From Vision to Action: Implementing Training Solutions Across Europe” was particularly inspiring. Hearing from experts like Rasmus G. Henriksen from the City of Aalborg, Diana Pastoriza from Spain and Marie Vanderbeke from Ruhr-University of Bochum demonstrated that while our contexts may differ, our commitment to teacher quality is universal.
What makes this framework special?

Unlike theoretical models that gather dust on shelves, the FOOTT PRINTTS framework is designed for real-world application. It aims to identify best practices from across Europe, provide guidance for teacher trainers and share the conditions necessary for successful implementation. It’s a living document that respects national differences while establishing common quality standards—exactly what we need in an increasingly interconnected educational landscape.

As we move toward the international conference in Vienna (May 26-28, 2026), the momentum is building. This framework has the potential to transform how we think about continuous professional development, ensuring that every teacher in Europe has access to high-quality training throughout their career.

Thank you to the organizing team and all participants for such an enriching day. Just as Düsseldorf’s sunshine lifted our spirits, the FOOTT PRINTTS project promises to bring new light to teacher training across Europe.

About the Author: Georgia Karagianni

Georgia is an English teacher with further training in educational psychology, inclusive education, counselling and teaching Greek as a foreign language. She has participated in many European projects (Erasmus+ KA2 & KA3) producing intellectual outputs on intercultural education, inclusive practices, creativity, pedagogical exploitation of digital tools, environmental education, and more. She has served for five years as Head of the Department of Educational Affairs in the Directorate of Secondary Education of Karditsa Prefecture. She holds an MA in “New Forms of Education and Learning”, an MA in “Language Education for Migrants and Refugees”, and a PhD in Open and Distance Learning from the Hellenic Open University, with her research focusing on digital metacognition and learning autonomy. She is a teacher trainer in Erasmus+ KA1 mobility courses and a trainer and syllabus creator at the Center of Lifelong Learning of the Hellenic Open University. She is currently serving as an EFL Education Consultant for Primary and Secondary Education at the Directorates of Education of Trikala and Karditsa, Greece.