Mr. Firth McEachern is an international education consultant and researcher with nearly 15 years of experience advancing inclusive language policies and multilingual education across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and South America. Specializing in Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTBMLE) and education in emergencies, he has trained more than 10,000 teachers through nearly 200 workshops and has collaborated with organizations such as UNICEF, Save the Children International, and the Myanmar Education Consortium to strengthen language policy, curriculum development, and education systems in underserved and conflict-affected communities.

A graduate of Harvard University and a PhD candidate in Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia, McEachern has made significant contributions to language advocacy, including helping develop the Philippines’ first provincial legislation recognizing Ilokano as an official language and supporting the integration of 19 native languages into the country’s education system. Fluent in five languages and having lived in 10 countries, he also serves as President of UBC’s Graduate Student Society, representing more than 11,000 graduate students while promoting equitable and socially responsive education.