Human progress revolves around effective education professional learning for teachers, true learning for students and the transformation of education systems. Backed by a shared commitment to leading education transformation through pedagogical excellence that is ably supported by technology, ISTE and the Learning Links Foundation (LLF) have entered into a collaboration that will empower education stakeholders. The goal of this exciting alliance is to incubate, promote and evaluate initiatives that will inform educational technology thoughts and practices, while also creating robust and future-ready learning environments.

LLF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing well-researched, evidence-based innovative solutions to transform the way education is transacted, and thereby stimulate optimal learning. The foundation works with partners across the education ecosystem to identify opportunities, address challenges and pave the path to transformational learning. Established in 2002, LLF has been working across India and Asia and has built a reputation as one of the largest and most respected education foundations in India.

LLF's advocacy for the role of educational technology in creating transformational learning experiences supports ISTE's vision of a world where all learners thrive, achieve and contribute. The foundation believes that a strong collaboration with ISTE involving the leveraging of the ISTE Standards and Essential Conditions for schools and education systems in India will positively impact the way education is delivered and unlock the power of true learning.

We look forward to collaborating in five areas:

Connect. Recognizing the need for educators to connect and collaborate with peers, LLF will build, moderate and sustain new communities within a Professional Learning Network for Indian educators, administrators and policy makers, as well as all others interested in further conversation about contemporary educational technology thinking. Our hope is that the professional learning communities formed online will lead to future informal, face-to-face events such as meetups and edcamps.

Advocate. Intending to promote change in communities across India, LLF will collaborate with ISTE to develop, adapt and disseminate information about digital age learning policy and tools. Building on existing relationships with national and state curriculum bodies, the foundation envisions collaborating with these and other organizations to develop long-term policy priorities and advocacy plans that are informed by the ISTE Standards and Essential Conditions.

Lead. Helping innovative leaders work together so that all learners benefit, LLF will share expertise and new approaches that power its effort to transform learning and teaching. The foundation will encourage Indian educators, leaders, experts and companies to take advantage of all the benefits that ISTE membership offers. Leveraging a network of over 900,000 K-12 teachers, student-teachers and faculty of higher education institutes, LLF also will provide ISTE-developed professional learning opportunities that are educationally rigorous and localized for the Indian context.

Resources. With a belief in the importance of offering resources to help educators and organizations gain new skills and achieve their vision for digital age education, LLF and ISTE will collaborate to expand relationships with key contacts in India's national department of education and in the states, providing local language and context resources. The foundation will introduce and recommend ISTE education technology be used to support teacher trainees at the graduate and master's level.

Standards. Recognizing the importance of national standards for learning, teaching and leading in the digital age, LLF will drive efforts for adoption of the ISTE Standards in India, as well as assist with any necessary customizations to meet national and state requirements.

Forging symbiotic relationships between organizations such as ISTE and LLF ones that merge world-class practices in local contexts and simultaneously provide scale and depth is critical for transforming learning, teaching and leading. LLF is excited to work with ISTE and to inspire, innovate and learn with those we seek to empower.

Anjlee Prakash, Ph.D., is the CEO of Learning Links Foundation, based in New Delhi, India.