This event, “Challenging the Deficit Model in Education and Development,” directly confronts the pervasive culture that frames the Global South as inherently lacking or “underdeveloped” compared to the Global North. For decades, development has been shaped by this deficit lens, portraying communities as missing essential knowledge, capacity, or resources. Such framing has influenced funding priorities, policy decisions, and the ways in which policy actors and practitioners engage with education and development issues. Unfortunately, it has often led to the neglect of the strengths, resilience, and innovation that already exist at the grassroots level. This event invites participants to interrogate and challenge these dominant narratives and explore more empowering, strength-based approaches.