In 2025, the Foundation team expanded its scholar developement programme to provide our local scholars with additional support as they transition from university to professional life. We therefore launched the Bristol Summer Programme to provide graduating Malaysian-based scholars an opportunity to undertake a summer programme and experience life in a British University .

Chan Choon Wooi and Teshmeen Kaur were selected to attend the prestigious three-week Environmental Humanities summer course at the University of Bristol. Both scholars noted that the immersive experience allowed them to develop their self-confidence and better prepare them for their future careers.

We also extended our group coaching programme to our Malaysian-based scholars. Working with Coach Helen Barstow, our scholars created reflective spaces for their personal and professional growth.

Other than the coaching sessions, the Foundation organised its annual local Scholar Development Bootcamp. It was held at AC Hotel Ipoh, where 55 scholars spent three days learning with the Foundation team and PEMIMPIN while strengthening their friendships. 

Meanwhile, the UK scholars attended their bootcamp at Grafham Water Centre, building emotional intelligence and conflict resolution skills through a blend of theory and practical outdoor activities. In August, we welcomed 28 new scholars to the 2025 YTL Foundation Scholar Cohort.

To wrap up a meaningful and productive year for the Scholarship Programme, two graduating scholars; Ashlee Al-Khair and Hani Nuraini joined the Foundation team, as Programme Associate and Programme Administrator, respectively.

Since the inception of the Teachers for Educational Equity (TfEE) programme in 2023, we have engaged with over 100 teachers from 19 high-needs national schools and 25 alternative learning centres across Malaysia.

Our PGCEi (Malaysia) teachers shared that the course has significantly contributed to their development as educators and school leaders. They have gained confidence in their pedagogical knowledge and skills while witnessing significant improvement in their students’ learning journey.
In December 2025, Programme Manager Michelle Low-Shamir and Research Lead; Professor Kevin Myers were invited to present our work at the ‘Conference on Advancing Education in Partnership with the Global South.’ The conference hosted by the University of Birmingham and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was held at University of Birmingham Dubai. The presentations, titled “Teacher Education in Liminal Spaces: Lessons from Malaysia’s Alternative Learning Centre” and “Reimagining Global North-Global South Partnerships to Build a Better Malaysia through Better Education,” were well received and highlighted the importance of co-construction between academic experts and community experts in achieving educational equity.

In 2025, we expanded our reach to serve the highest number of students to date, with 685 unique learners participating in our academic and enrichment programmes. Supported by 179 volunteers, our programmes continue to evolve. This year, we paired our focus on digital literacy, AI ethics, and entrepreneurship programmes with a brand new social emotional learning series.

This year, our international volunteer outreach program successfully engaged six students from leading UK institutions, including the University of Bath, Oxford University, and Durham University reached 330 students across 12 alternative learning centres. The programme’s positive impact earned significant recognition when one of our international volunteers, Amber Wood, was awarded the ‘Exceptional Contributor of the Year Award’ by the University of Bath.

A pilot series focused on social emotional learning was developed by IMU Cares
for educators from 11 alternative learning centres. The series was well received by the educators, who shared that the workshops provided practical approaches that could be easily applied in their classrooms.

We continued to provide academic support to 116 students from 17 schools across the Sentul area. Meanwhile, our programme for the Orang Asli students from SEMOA, Pahang grew from 40 to 60. Notably, seven SPM candidates from the community achieved a 100% pass rate. Their achievement reflects the students’ dedication and the effectiveness of the academic support provided by Leaps Academy.

We concluded the year with the ‘YAY Christmas Carnival’ which was hosted in conjunction with YTL Founders’ Day. The event brought together over 180 children from three alternative learning centres, the SEMOA community, the Sentul community, and the YTL family. Supported by over 80 UTAR volunteers and 20 YTL Scholars, the Carnival marked a joyful ending to a year of collaboration and growth.

Over the past year, KelasKita continues to strengthen its programme delivery through improved volunteer tutor onboarding, closer coordination with implementers, and more structured academic support for students.

The Foundation maintained a healthy partnership with PwC, YTL Construction, Teach for Malaysia, and Ajar Society who collectively tutored 330 students in 2025. We also partnered with Good Shepherd Services (GSS) Ipoh in October 2025, to provide tutoring support to 30 underserved students.

The weekly tutoring sessions delivered measurable impact, as many demonstrated a growth in their self-confidence, reading ability, and motivation to learn. 

Building on the momentum of its regional expansion, Acumen Academy Southeast Asia made 2025 a year of deepening practices, relationships, and regional leadership. The inaugural Southeast Asia Fellowship cohort which comprised 18 Fellows (including eight from Malaysia), completed their eight-month journey in January. Together, they navigated real-world challenges such as climate change, education, and community wellbeing by learning from and leaning on their cohort members.

Alongside the Fellowship, the team intentionally launched regular peer consulting sessions, in-person gatherings, and informal meetups to strengthen the Foundry alumni community. The team also established the Regional Foundry Advisory Council with representatives from six Southeast Asian countries, to work closely with the Acumen Academy team to co-shape and support regional community initiatives and engagements.

Our Southeast Asia leaders also gained global visibility with Salinee Hurley from Thailand representing Acumen Academy Southeast Asia at TED 2025.
Looking ahead to 2026, the team is excited to welcome the second Southeast Asia Fellowship cohort and continue nurturing moral leadership and peer communities to drive long-term systems change across the region.

In 2025, PEMIMPIN continues to strengthen teacher leadership, enhance classroom practices, and support schools across Malaysia.

Central to this work is the Malaysia Teacher Prize Summit – a two-day event that brought together over 1,000 participants and 108 speakers from six countries. The Summit concluded with the celebration of this year’s Malaysia Teacher Prize winner, Cikgu Siti Ainulmursyida Shamsudin. A Special Education teacher at SMK Orkid Desa, KL, Cikgu Siti was recognised for her innovative use of digital tools that positively impacted over 300 students with special needs. She has also gained international recognition at the Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities.

Her full story can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsbtskUPWQo.

PEMIMPIN continues to scale its professional development app; LADAP Plus which has now reached more than 55,000 users across 7,600 schools. The social-emotional learning module is the platform's most popular offering.


This year also marked the conclusion of another cohort of the Program Anak Kita: LEAD Fellowship, where 73 Fellows successfully implemented school-based literacy and numeracy interventions which supported 50% to 60% of students to successfully exit the remedial classes.


Looking ahead to 2026, the LEAD cohort 5 Showcase and Graduation will mark another milestone for middle leaders in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, as PEMIMPIN remains committed to building confident teacher leaders and ensuring every child can thrive.